Robyn Bales
Former Elk City High School standout Robyn Bales started her journey from high school to college athlete by attending an out-of-state school. Eventually Bales would land at Cameron University where she found her home and was recently named the Athletic Performance Athlete of the Year for the Lone Star Conference.
“I have been playing ever since I can remember. My dad was taking me to the ballpark with him from the time I could crawl. I started out going to Arkansas Tech, so that adjustment of being away from home with new people was a little tough at first, especially being that far from my family and just learning to manage my time between school, softball, and life in general,” said Bales.
After spending some time at Arkansas Tech, Bales decided she wanted to be closer to home and Cameron University was the right choice for her.
“Cameron was great for me because it was closer to home. I wanted to be closer to my family and when I came on a visit, I loved the feel and the look of campus and the facilities. I enjoy having a smaller campus honestly. It was nice to be able to get across campus quickly or have a more one on one conversation with a professor when I needed to,” said Bales.
Bales continued her softball career while pursuing a degree in accounting. Now she is serving as a graduate assistant for the softball team while working towards her masters.
“My favorite class had to be my fraud class. My degree is in accounting and that class was super interesting to see how many financial crimes have happened and how they got caught. I am going to be the graduate assistant for the softball team now and pursue my master’s in business administration. I hope to gain more knowledge about the coaching aspect of softball and finish my master’s degree. I hope I’m able to help some other student athletes that maybe are going through some of the same things that I did and to help the players realize they are bigger than just the game they play,” said Bales.
Her advice to new students entering college for the first time?“ I would tell them to stick it out. I would tell them that it’s not a walk in the park and they will probably go through struggles but it’s worth it. I would say to use the resources you have available to you like the tutoring centers, advising, coaches, counselors, mental health trainings, and anything else they might have. Don’t be ashamed in needing help. More people need it, and use those resources, than you would think, and they all just want to help you succeed in college and life!
