Dark cloud has silver lining for Nicole Robison
A bad break at work has allowed Nicole Robison to pursue more creative interests and spend extra time with her young son.
Shortly after she graduated in May 2008 with bachelor's degrees in creative writing and literature from California University of Pennsylvania, the 24-year-old Brownsville resident who was born in Charleroi began working as a grant writer for the Washington County Council on Economic Development in Washington, Pa.
After a year with the non-profit organization, Robison was laid off last month.
Losing the position was a setback, but Robison said it was far from leaving her dream job.
"I will not be doing grant writing again. It was very boring," she said with a laugh. "It was my first real job. A professor gave me the job description and kind of got me into it. It was the first job I applied for and the only job I applied for. I really didn't look around. I just went for it because it was in the area.
"It's hard to find a good-paying, full-time job in this area, so I jumped at the opportunity."
The bad break was sort of a blessing in disguise for Robison, who plans on spending much more time with her 4-year-old son, Evan.
The two enjoy hiking in local parks, particularly Cedar Creek Park in Rostraver Township.
The youngster is prepping for elementary school and recently began playing in a community soccer league.
Robison's other love is the writer's group she recently assembled at Jozart Studios in California Borough.
Every Tuesday evening, she leads a group of 12 writers of all ages.
"I've got a 12-year-old boy and it goes up to about a 75-year-old man," Robison said of the group.
"The focus at Jozart is going to be anything and everything. We do have a lot of students because it's right next to the university. So, I'm getting articles and short stories, the starts of novels and poetry."
While attending college, Robison was on the staff for four years at The California Focus.
"It's a regional news magazine," she said. "I was a senior writer. I was the assistant editor. I've always wanted to be in the writing field. It is very important to me."
With hopes of one day becoming an English professor, Robison said she has yet to pen her literary masterpiece.
"Creative fiction would be the number one goal that I've been aiming for," she said.
For now, Robison is focusing more on enjoying life and literature.
"I have worked and went to school for a very long time," she said.
"I had my son very young, so right now I'm just enjoying spending time with my son. I haven't had the opportunity to do that and, actually I didn't have the time to do the writer's group, so this does afford me a lot more free time to reevaluate."
