5 minutes with Sgt. Sandra George Robinson ’92

Position: Registered nurse, founder of Combat Female Veterans Families United

Degree: Nursing

Hometown: Jamestown, North Carolina

What made you want to pursue nursing as a career?

I have always loved to care for people. To have a profession that gives you stability while at the same time being trusted to help someone in their time of need is an honor.

Was there a class or professor at ECU that made an impact on you?

I was in my junior year and in the Army Reserves when I got a call that I was activated to go to war. Within 24 hours I had to move out of my apartment and become an active-duty service member. I returned after nine months, and all my professors helped me study for the exams I missed and double up on courses I still had to take. I always share wonderful things about the university because of the support they gave me both leaving and returning. Professor Eldean Pierce, Dean Sylvia Brown and Dean Phyllis Horns made a significant impact on my education and career. They made sure I did not give up on my dreams and encouraged me to be the person I am today.

You are the first Black alumna to make a planned gift to the College of Nursing. What was your motivation for philanthropy?

I am glad to be able to make that difference. I hope many others join me. When I was in school, I was president of the Black ECU Nursing Society. It feels like I was meant to be the first, meant to lead the way and be the voice for the Black nursing school community. I have always believed in leading from the front. If not I, then who?

Why do you think it’s important for alumni to give back?

When you have a successful college and professional experience, that is the result of your education and support system. ECU was both during one of the hardest times of my life (life after war). Giving back gives you a unique sense of purpose. I know that I am giving back to a place that made me who I am today.

We want to hear stories from alumni about how their experiences at ECU shaped them today and how they pass those lessons to others. Send us an email at easteditor@ecu.edu.