The Woman Who Changed My Life with a Campus Tour: A Tribute from Scott Gojkovich

If you asked me to pinpoint the single reason why I left sunny San Diego, CA and moved halfway across the country to Des Moines, Iowa to attend Drake University — without hesitation, I’d tell you: Mary Robertson.

The year was 1993. I had applied to five colleges, all across the U.S. At the time, I had no clear frontrunner, but I knew I wanted to visit. Stay in a dorm. Sit in on a class. Eat in the dining hall. Get a feel for the place and the people.

One school, when I called to schedule that kind of visit, couldn’t have been less interested. Their tone made it feel like I was asking for something unreasonable. I remember thinking: "If I’m considering moving 3,000 miles away to be part of your community, the least you can do is show me what it’s like."

Then I called Drake. That’s when I met Mary Robertson.

Mary didn’t just help me arrange a visit — she rolled out the red carpet. Every question I asked was met with a thoughtful, enthusiastic yes.

Dorm stay? “Of course. How many nights?”

Class visits? “Here’s a list of great options.”

Dining hall access? “Absolutely. You’re set.”

Need anything else? “We’ve got you covered.”

It was white glove treatment — and I hadn’t done anything to deserve it. That’s just who Mary was. She cared. About the university. About students. About her community.

So, I flew to Iowa in April 1993, a week before the Drake Relays. It was chilly and a little misty, but that didn’t matter. Everything Mary had planned went off without a hitch. She made sure I connected with faculty and future mentors like David Wright and John Lytle. She left no stone unturned. She made Drake — and Greater Des Moines (DSM) — feel like home.

After just a couple days, I called my parents and said, “I found my school.” I committed to Drake on the spot, got back on the plane and headed home to San Diego.

And then the Floods of ’93 hit.

We saw the coverage from our living room. Helicopter shots on the news showed Fleur Drive completely underwater. My mom looked over at me and shouted, “Scott! Isn’t this where you decided to go?!”

I called Mary.

Phone lines were down.

Eventually, she got through and reassured me: “We’ll be ready for you. Don’t worry.” And she was right.

We saw each other occasionally while I was a student, but after graduation, we lost touch. This was before social media made it easy to stay connected. I went on with life — graduated, started a career, built a family.

But I’ve never stopped telling the story of Mary Robertson. I’ve shared it with friends. Told it at events. Talked about it with my daughters. I've repeated it more times than I can count. Because it was that moment — that visit, that connection - that changed the course of my life.

Last week, I was co-emceeing the Easterseals Iowa Admiral’s Party when I saw someone in the crowd who looked like Mary. I wasn’t totally sure. But I walked over, sat down and said, “I’ve got a story for you.”

She said, “OK.”

And after 32 years, I finally got to reconnect with Mary and tell her — in person — how her kindness and care had changed my life.

She got emotional. I asked if I could introduce her to my wife, my daughter and our friends. She said yes. What a moment that was — to share that full-circle story with the people I love, and the person who unknowingly helped shape it.

A Life-Changing Moment

Here’s the lesson I’ve carried all these years:

You never know the ripple effect of simply doing your job with heart. What felt like a routine campus visit to Mary was, for me, a life-changing moment. It was the reason I moved to Iowa. The reason I went to Drake. The reason I built a life in DSM.

Sometimes, we think impact comes from grand gestures. But often, it comes from consistency. From caring enough to go above and beyond. From choosing to treat people like they matter — even when you’ve just met them.

That’s what Mary did for me.

And I’ll never forget it.

Are you interested in moving to Greater Des Moines (DSM)? Relocation Guides offer information on everything from neighborhoods and shopping to parks and local attractions. Or, kick start your career by checking out these job openings within the Greater DSM USA Career Center.