Microbiology grad followed her love of science to Clemson

Grayce Robinson has never been afraid to follow her instincts. For instance, her older brother and sister attended the University of South Carolina, but she chose Clemson.

"I was like, 'I have to go to Clemson because that's where the smart people go,'" she jokes. "That is what I've told people since eighth grade, and I still say it to this day."

Her high school AP Biology teacher at Hanahan High School put the idea of going to Clemson in her head because Robinson had always been drawn to the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

"She said, 'If you want to be in STEM, Clemson is the school to go to," says Robinson. "She convinced me that I could apply and get in."

It turned out her teacher was right. Robinson applied to Clemson during the COVID-19 lockdowns and was overjoyed when she got her acceptance letter. Because of the pandemic, the first time she set foot on campus was to begin her first year.

Robinson made the most of her time as an undergrad, joining the Clemson Pre-Vet Club and serving as the vice president and social media coordinator for the Clemson Microbiological Society.

Joining Creative Inquiry

In addition, and perhaps most notably, she participated in several Creative Inquiries (CI), which are undergraduate research projects combining experiential learning and cross-disciplinary interactions. Robinson's CI projects focused on ecology, culminating in one her senior year studying the effects of fungal bacteria on frogs and fish in the Clemson Experimental Forest.

"It was such an incredible experience to be paid by Clemson to do research projects," she says. "The one my senior year was completely my own idea, and I got to see it through. That was definitely an incredible feeling."

Robinson says the opportunity for undergraduate students to present their own independent research is one of the best things about Clemson and was one of her proudest moments as a student.

"I feel like that's not an experience many people get because it's not something every school has."

Discovering her roots

Robinson says the most transformative period of her Clemson career was a six-week study abroad trip to Poland during her junior year, where she got to interact and learn with other microbiology students from around the world.

"That was actually pretty cool for me because my family is from Poland," she says. "My mom's whole side is Polish, and my great-grandmother came here from Poland, and we actually stayed in a city very close to where she grew up."

Robinson says if she could go back and give her first year self advice, she'd tell herself not to wait so long to get involved.

Finding her purpose

"Don't be afraid to try new things," she says. "If you just go to campus and study and don't talk to anybody, and you don't join clubs, you're going to have a miserable time because you're going to feel isolated. Don't wait to go out, explore campus, and explore all the student clubs. Talk to your professors and classmates. There are so many opportunities at Clemson and such a vast array of majors and different things you can do. That's kind of how you can figure out, really, where you want to go in life."

After graduation, Robinson plans to attend veterinary school and eventually work in exotic veterinary medicine.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.