Far from Family, a Graduating Chemistry Major Forged His Own Path

Isaac Robinson credits great teachers, scholarships and his job at Giant for guiding him “home.” 

Not every teenager is willing to move 7,000 miles away from family to get an education. But that’s exactly what University of Maryland (UMD) graduating chemistry major Isaac Robinson did when it came time to choose a university. 

“My parents and siblings stayed behind in South Korea when I first came to UMD,” said Robinson, whose father’s military career meant three-year stints in different locations around the world. 

Maryland was one of their recurring stops along the way (Robinson was born in Baltimore), which was a major reason he chose to become a Terp in 2022. 

“It was challenging to be on the other side of the world by myself,” he said, “but Maryland was familiar, and once I was on campus, College Park quickly became home.” 

And he wasn’t alone for long. Two years in, Robinson’s younger brother Luke joined him at UMD—and in his dorm room.

“I’ve lived with him my whole life, so it feels natural to have had him as a roommate,” Robinson said. “I’m lucky: He’s my best friend.”

Finding his way

Robinson always enjoyed science and math, and a high school AP chemistry teacher encouraged him to continue in the sciences. The question was, which one? 

“Then I took Organic Chem I at UMD, and that cemented my interest,” he said. “Professor Daniel Falvey was super engaging, and his TA Robert Martin was great; nobody skipped his discussions because they were so useful.” 

Robinson enjoyed the physical aspects of labs, “seeing chemical reactions, designing experiments, feeling connected to things on the molecular level,” he said. 

He appreciated the rigor of his studies and even became proficient at writing lab reports. 

“I’ve loved how each class really built on the previous one, and I could see myself applying skills and concepts from one year to the next,” he said.

A sense of community

During his first semester, Robinson took a part-time job at Giant Pharmacy, which turned out to be one of the most influential choices of his undergraduate years. 

“Helping patients with their medications gave me a sense of fulfillment, and I began to feel a part of the community as they began remembering me and checking in on how my schooling was going,” he said. The experience was so positive that he worked there for 3.5 years.

And it was the job, he said, that really opened him up to making connections at school. Robinson admits he had grown weary of making friends and then leaving them behind as a military kid. 

“Working at the pharmacy had a surprisingly positive effect on my social life: It gave me the confidence to engage more with my fellow chemistry students and the campus community,” he said. 

That included attending Maryland Day each spring, “not just for the free stuff, but because it’s great seeing what everyone is up to around campus and hearing departments present their research,” he said.

The Giant experience also deepened Robinson’s passion for pharmacy, leading him to take a second job at the University Health Center to further develop his skills and, finally, to apply to pharmacy graduate programs.

A long run

Academic success paved Robinson’s undergraduate path, and all three graduate schools he applied to accepted him. He‘ll start classes in the fall at the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy. He’s been a Dean’s List regular, and he received three scholarships: the President's Scholarship, the Bruce Jarvis Scholarship and the Dr. Charles "Max" Hunt Dean's Scholarship in the Life Sciences.

“I've known Isaac since he was a first year,” Falvey said. “It's been a real pleasure watching him develop as a student, and I am excited to see him head off to pharmacy school. He has a lot to contribute.”

When not steeped in academics, Robinson runs, and every spring he trains for and completes a marathon. He also plays complex board games like Settlers of Catan and strategic card games like Rook. In a sense, his educational life has been much like his hobbies: an extended run over great distances, strategizing and gathering what he needs to make it all the way.

“It’s been a lot of hard work, but I’m really happy with how it’s gone and where I am,” he said.

He’s also excited about what’s to come.

“After pharmacy school, my first choice would be to work as a clinical pharmacist in a hospital setting,” Robinson said. “I want to be as helpful and hands-on as possible in that kind of community.” 

Interacting with patients, he added, “is the part I look forward to most.”