Native Midlander finds career promoting quality of lifeOctober 28, 2019

“Midland is home and always will be,” said Kristin Roberson.  “You can get a great education in Lubbock, Austin and College Station; however, you can also get a great education right here in Midland.”

That’s exactly what Roberson did. The 2010 Lee High School graduate pursued her education at Midland College (MC) and then transferred to the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Leadership. Today she is working at the Museum of the Southwest as the Membership & Grants manager.

“My first experience at Museum of the Southwest was going on field trips as a child in elementary school,” recalled Roberson. “Then I volunteered at the museum—mainly in the Children’s Museum—as part of my volunteer requirement for the Legacy Scholarship. While I was at UTPB, I joined the staff as an intern. Six months later, I accepted a part-time job at the museum, and then six months after that, I was offered a full-time job working with membership.”

This past January, Roberson was promoted to her current position where she is responsible for promoting museum memberships, writing grants and coordinating and helping in museum activities.

“It’s a great job!” exclaimed Roberson. “The museum is such a wonderful place, and that makes membership promotion easy. When I was assigned the responsibility of writing grant proposals, I was not in the least bit intimidated. I gained valuable experience reviewing grant applications as a member of Students in Philanthropy (SIP) at both Lee High School and Midland College.”

As a member of SIP, Roberson participated in the organization’s unique leadership training program that provided her the opportunity to learn about philanthropy and the nonprofit world while also making a positive impact on the quality of life in her hometown of Midland. Through fundraising and grant-making, Roberson and her fellow SIP members not only made needed contributions to nonprofit organizations, but also gained training through SIP’s structured curriculum designed to educate, support and promote philanthropic leadership in the community.

“I guess I knew as far back as high school that I wanted to have a career in the nonprofit arena,” said Roberson. “Then, when I started Midland College in the fall of 2010 and became involved with the college’s SIP group, I discovered that I didn’t just want a career in nonprofit management—the nonprofit sector became my passion! During my freshman year at MC, I was Secretary/Treasurer of SIP and then during my sophomore year, I was elected to the position of vice president of SIP. In addition to learning about philanthropy, my experience in SIP also allowed me to gain skills in time management, leadership, planning and interpersonal relations.”

At the Museum of the Southwest, Roberson said her duties are not necessarily limited to her job title as Membership & Grants manager. 

“I enjoy not being stuck in one particular area,” stated Roberson. “My very first responsibility as an intern at the museum was to gather raffle prizes for our summer Sunday lawn concerts. This year, I scheduled the bands for the lawn concerts. That was a fun assignment. We had several new bands perform this year, and the audience really seemed to enjoy them.”

In addition, Roberson helps with the museum’s Family Friday events in June and July and assists with decorations and coordinates food vendors for the museum’s annual Septemberfest fundraising celebration.

When 27-year-old Kristin Roberson isn’t working at the museum, she enjoys spending time with family, friends and her two dogs—a 10-year-old Golden Retriever named Missy and a 10-month-old rescue Cattahoula Leopard/Great Dane mix named Cooper. Her parents Wendy & Robert Roberson live in Midland and also graduated from Lee High School, as did her older sister Kayla Gass who now lives in O’Donnell, TX and works as a registered nurse in Lubbock.

“I’m so glad that I decided to stay in Midland when I graduated from high school and attend Midland College, said Roberson.  “I had a wonderful experience at MC, and it helped prepare me for my future. Julia Vickery, who was the Midland College SIP coordinator at the time, is just an amazing person. She was always willing to help. She was an adult friend who helped me make the transition into becoming an adult, myself. I don’t think I would have been as successful in my early career had it not been for Julia and her mentorship.”

Roberson explained that the museum is currently in the midst of a $5.3 million fundraising campaign to renovate the Fredda Turner Durham Children’s Museum, which is one of the favorite places for families with children to visit when they go to the Museum of the Southwest.

“This is an exciting time to be in Midland, especially for the nonprofit sector. There are so many generous people who are truly vested in Midland, and I am honored to be working at a place that helps to promote education, culture and quality of life in our community.”