LYNN ALUM ROBINSON THRIVES AT OFFICE DEPOT

Alumna Ka Lynn Robinson, after graduating just one year ago with a major in fashion and retail, now  works in Office Depot’s merchandising department. 

During her time at Lynn, Robinson was extremely involved on campus where she was the president of the Black Student Union and co-founder of Feminist Friday. Robinson also served as a peer leader, a resident assistant, a library student worker, a public relations intern and student photographer in the marketing department on campus, all of which led her to be chosen as 2018’s undergraduate student commencement speaker.

After interning with Office Depot’s private brand division of merchandising over the summer, Robinson now works in the company’s merchandising department. During her internship, Robinson learned about the brand strategy within Office Depot’s private brand.

“I now have a permanent position in the operations side of merchandising, so I do a lot of item maintenance,” said Robinson. “My role consists of making sure the items are okay to sell by ensuring the product is in our system correctly.”

Robinson commends Lynn and the campus’ involvement team for helping her to succeed in her new profession. 

“All of my past campus involvement has helped me a lot with things like email communication, problem-solving and working with different kinds of people,” said Robinson. “Also, all the public speaking I did at Lynn prepared me for the public speaking I’ve had to do at Office Depot. For instance, at the end of the internship, I had to present an idea to the executive leadership team on how to improve the company.”

She encourages students to utilize on-campus opportunities. 

“Being involved in one thing on campus opens the door to so many other things,” said Robinson. “I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the experience I got from the Office of Student Affairs, the library, the Center for Career and Alumni Connections, and the Marketing team. For anything you want to do, there is a person on campus who will make it happen.”  

Now assuming a different role with Office Depot, Robinson is excited for the road ahead.  She hopes to grow in her understanding of the retail industry and improve as a professional throughout her time with the company.