FYSA Advisor Teryn Robinson Passes Away, Remembered by Many

Assistant Director for Advising Technologies in First and Second Year Advising Teryn Robinson died Jan. 30 at the age of 47. Those close to Robinson remember her as a wife, mother and advocate for her students. 

In her role as an advisor, Robinson was an advocate for many at Loyola, specifically members of the LGBTQ+ community. Through her attitude and support of students, Robinson left a huge impact, according to her wife, Anne Fisher. 

“She made me want to be a better person,” Fisher said. “She loved working with students. She was constantly adopting new people into our family.” 

Anne Fisher said her “very kind and generous” wife loved to laugh and was a fantastic mom to their 13-year-old son, Simon Fisher. Simon Fisher and Robinson would watch videos of swearing babies when one of them had a bad day, Anne Fisher recounted.

Campus Ministry notified the Loyola community of Robinson’s death in a Feb. 5 email. The email said Robinson will be remembered for the “steady guidance, thoughtful support and genuine care she offered to both students and colleagues.”

One of Anne Fisher’s favorite memories of Robinson is when they spent Thanksgiving with a friend in Raleigh, North Carolina. While the meal was being prepared, she found Robinson with a bowl of what she thought was mashed potatoes. Robinson told Anne Fisher it was cheesecake frosting, something that made them both laugh. 

“She had this guilty look on her face when she told me,” Fisher said.

Robinson wasn’t only impactful in her home, but also at Loyola, according to Associate Director of Academic Programming Katrina Weizer, a coworker and friend of Robinson’s.

Weizer said she considered their workplace friendship to be a good aspect of Loyola’s “work family.” Their similarity in age allowed for them to bond through pop-culture references and small jokes.

“With Teryn, you knew you were heard and seen,” Weizer said. “She was good at validating people in their experiences, even if it wasn’t her experience.

Both her encouraging spirit and the little moments where she would talk or text with Robinson will be missed, Weizer said.

Some of Weizer’s favorite memories with Robinson consist of their banter about Taylor Swift and how Robinson, a “Swiftie,” would humor Weizer on her dislike for the artist.

Assistant Registrar for Transfer Articulation Amanda Martinez Zielinski, a friend and colleague of Robinson, said Robinson loved her job and her students.

“She very much wanted to be able to help students and people and advocate for education and equality,” Martinez Zielinski said. “She was never shy about sharing her opinion, especially when it came to the topics of social justice and being an advocate for students and those who didn’t have power.”

Martinez Zielinski said Robinson was a supportive friend who knew how to cheer people up.

“I think she was just really good about showing support and love when someone was feeling down,” Martinez Zielinski said.

Robinson, beginning her work at Loyola in 2019, stepped into the role of assistant director for advising technologies in 2023.

As both an academic advisor and UNIV 101 instructor, Robinson created a friendly and enjoyable work environment, according to multiple students who worked with her.

Third-year philosophy and political science major Paige Buckley, who worked as a peer advisor with Robinson in the fall semester of 2024, said Robinson was able to create a really great working environment.

“She helped me enjoy the job and understand the purpose behind being a student leader,” Buckley said.

One of her favorite memories with Robinson was having breakfast with her and the other peer advisors at Rivers and Roads. Buckley said she enjoyed the casual atmosphere and interacting with Robinson outside of a work environment.

Third-year political science major Hailey Shebak, who worked with Robinson as a peer navigator, said Robinson was an amazing person who had a special knack for making everyone feel cared for. 

“If you ever needed to talk about something or had something difficult going on, I always knew I could go to her and talk about it,” Shebak said. “After our weekly meetings, I always felt better than before I went in.”

Fourth-year statistics major Steven Pappas, who worked alongside Shebak and Robinson, said he considered Robinson to be a “radiant person.”

“She had such an enthusiasm for her job, and it was really infectious,” Pappas said. “She really led by example. She was always willing to help people and put others’ needs over her own.”

During UNIV 101, Robinson was always smiling and put forth her best self every day, according to Pappas.

First-year multimedia journalism major Skye Weaver, a student in last semester’s UNIV 101 class, said Robinson was a “ball of light” in the classroom.

“She found a way to connect with literally everyone in the class,” Weaver said.

Robinson was good at accepting everyone as they were and welcoming different types of people, Weaver said.

Weaver said she will miss Robinson’s advice and her answers to every issue the most.

A service for Robinson was held Feb. 9, where over 250 people showed up and shared their experiences with Robinson, according to Anne Fisher.

Robinson’s enthusiasm and dedication to helping others welcomed students to speak with her on a personal level and feel understood, according to Buckley.

“She really brought the colors, metaphorically and literally, to the building,” Buckley said.

In lieu of flowers, Robinson’s family asks those who knew her to consider donating to her son Simon’s education fund, due to Robinson’s deep commitment to education, according to her obituary.

Editor’s Note: Skye Weaver is a contributing writer for The Phoenix.