Robyn Lloyd Westmoreland

Technical Services Coordinator in Learning Commons, TCTC

Associate in Arts, Tri-County Technical College

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Full Sail University

In 2009, 21-year-old Robyn Lloyd Westmoreland was working a part-time job as a babysitter/ chauffeur for a lady who was taking classes at TCTC.  “I wanted to go to college, but I didn’t have a clue as to how or where. Driving her to classes on the Pendleton Campus and hearing about her experience made me see TCTC as an option,” said Westmoreland, whose goal was to enroll at TCTC.  “One day,” she said.  “Maybe I can start there and find myself.”

There were a few roadblocks.

Westmoreland and her family had moved to Oconee County in 2006 from Michigan, where she had been home schooled. She had her parents’ support to pursue college, but the funding wasn’t there. When she tried to apply in 2008, FAFSA at the time required applicants to be residents of South Carolina for five years to be eligible.

“My transcript also didn’t transfer from home school so I earned a GED in Oconee County,” she said.

Three years later, she enrolled at TCTC in the spring of 2015.

“It had been six years since I had been in school so that made me non-traditional,” she said. 

She took university transfer classes with the goal of transferring to a four-year college to pursue an English degree.

“Being at Tri-County forced me to open up.  I was shy.  At Tri-County, it was easy to find my voice. There was a good vibe.”

She said instructors were accessible and friendly and she was able to talk with them in hallways or after class.

One of those instructors was Dr. Stacey Frank, her psychology instructor and current Department Head for Online & Hybrid Education for the Arts and Sciences Division.

 “I found her interesting. She also was a student at the time, pursuing her master’s degree, so we had being students in common.  She was willing to listen and be open,” said Westmoreland.

Other instructors also offered encouragement. “As a first-generation student, I wasn’t sure how to navigate college. I had no idea what to do.  When I sought help and asked instructors ‘how do I do this?,’ they always said, ‘We’ll get through this together.’ Julie Ellington, my English instructor, listened to my ideas and is easy to talk to as was Matt Simon. And biology instructor, Beverly Thompson, I want to be successful like her,” said Westmoreland.

“While at TCTC as a student, I went from uncertain and shy to winning two recognition awards from instructors in 2015,” said Westmoreland. She was named the Outstanding Student in Associate in Arts, as well as the Outstanding Student in Humanities.

Today, she says working with her role models is a privilege.

“I wanted to work at TCTC because I love learning and I love libraries, and I knew from experience that Tri-County excelled at both,” she said. Today at TCTC she currently serves as chair elect of the PASCAL Cataloging and Metadata Working Group, is a National Society of Collegiate Scholars member; and is former vice-chair and a current officer for the TCTC Staff Advisory Board.

After graduating from TCTC she went on to pursue a degree in English at Full Sail University where she was named Online Creative Writing BFA Valedictorian and received seven Course Director awards.

After graduating, she said, “I wanted to give back, find a place where I can help students like me.”

She met her husband, Greg Westmoreland, while they were students at TCTC. Later he became an instructor at TCTC. He saw a job opening at the Easley Campus.  Robyn applied and was hired as a Learning Commons library assistant. She worked there for one year before transferring to the Pendleton Campus as an English tutor.

“TCTC made such an impact on me that I wanted to work here.  I want to do for students what TCTC did for me,” she said.