Michael Robbins
Graduation Year: 1996
Major: Education and History
Current Career: Principal of Nelson Island School, Toksook Bay, Alaska
Undergraduate Leadership Positions: Undergrad Sigma Phi Epsilon Vice President of Programming
Undergrad Sigma Phi Epsilon Secretary
Thiel College Senior Class President Class of 1996
Captain of Basketball Team 1995-1996
All Conference Academic Team 1995 and 1996
National Speaker AVID and CollegeBoard
1995 Foosball Greek Week Champion with my great pledge brother Jasan Eugene Chappell!
IFC President
What do you enjoy doing with your free time: I love to travel throughout the country, experience different areas of the country. . I have been a school administrator for over 19 years working in the Syracuse City School District, Principal of a Private School in Rochester and then moved to Alaska last year. This is an amazing place to live and work. I have a son John Robbins who will attend Thiel next year as a Freshman and a 5 year old daughter Mallory Robbins. I am Married to Christina Power Robbins works in the Lower Kuskokwim School District as Director of Elementary Education. I love to watch basketball and play tennis during the summer.
Why did you join the SigEp: I joined to be a with a group of men who had the same ideals that I had and to have a little fun in college.
How has the SigEp experience impacted your life outside of College: It has been incredible making friends for life and always knowing that help is a phone call or text message away.
How has being a SigEp set you up for success: It taught me to be a leader and to work with different types of individuals. It taught me values that I continue to use in my role as a principal everyday and values that I use in everyday life. It was incredibly valuable.
What moment made you the most proud to be a SigEp: When I was a sophomore we had 13 brothers in the house by the time I left we were near 40. It was done with hard work dedication and a group of young men dedicated in keeping our fraternity alive, not letting down all of those before us and keeping the doors open for our future brothers.
Fondest Brotherhood Memory: I think Spring at Thiel, I played basketball so my weekends were pretty busy throughout the winter, but when basketball was over and the weather began to warm, I would walk down to the house on Friday with classes being over for the week and the house was always a little quite on Friday afternoons and we would play pool in the lobby or euchre or foosball. The TV would be playing music videos yes MTV played videos at that time. Just hanging out with the brothers I always felt a real sense of brotherhood and friendship during those times.
What advice would you give to younger alumni or active members whom just graduated or about to graduate from Thiel: Learn as much as you can, study as hard as you can, time is precious have fun, but take care of your business. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t know, ask for help! Try to be the most positive person in the room, people move away from negative and the people that head toward you don’t want to be with.
What would you say to a prospective student considering joining SigEp: It will be the best thing you do, it will teach you so much about how to live your life, how to be a leader and how to work with others and communicate effectively with different groups.
If you would like to Nominate a Penn Nu Alumni to be spotlighted, just send an email to Thielsigep@gmail.com. Please include the nominees name and contact information.