“All I Want for Christmas is Deeeeee”

By Jamie Campbell

Ferrum College Marketing & Communications 

Third graders enjoyed time with Ferrum College junior D Robinson during gym class on November 22, 2019.

It was 8:30 at night and my kids were supposed to be snuggled in bed. I heard footsteps creeping down the stairs. My six-year-old son shoved a piece of paper into my hands as I gave him the “get back in bed right now” look, and hastily said: “Here’s my Christmas list, Mom.” And back upstairs he ran.

I looked down at the list written in orange Sharpie. The regular stuff was there: electronics, games, a new Nerf gun. But the request at the very bottom caught my eye. “More time with Deeeeee,” it read.

Who was Deeeeee? The next morning I received answers. “Deeeeee comes to play with us at school,” my son explained. “He’s really fun,” my daughter chimed in. Based on the description my kids offered, I realized Deeeeee is Davon Robinson, a junior at Ferrum College who is known around campus for posting positive and uplifting videos on YouTube. At the College, he’s simply called “D”.

I caught up with Audrey Flora, Ferrum Elementary School’s family liaison, who helped D come aboard as a volunteer. “Each year Ferrum Elementary School invites community partners, local churches, and parents to volunteer their time. When the invitation was sent to Ferrum College, Davon Robinson was the first to respond,” Flora explained in an email. “Davon volunteers twice per week and facilitates a variety of team building activities with students during their recess. He also visits students during their lunch period and promotes his message to be kind. When Davon walks into a classroom, the children cheer as if a super hero has just entered the building!”

I had to see D in action. On Friday, November 22, I visited Ferrum Elementary for lunch and gym class. I watched as D sat with the kids and truly listened with interest while they talked, laughed, and excitedly jumped around him. During gym classes, he engaged students with games, silly songs, and lots of laughs. When I asked the students, “Why is D so fun?” I received a variety of answers, including “because he’s nice and plays fun games,” “because he’s awesome,” and “because he plays with me.” But the answer that summed it up the best came from a third-grader: “because he loves us.” That day, students left gym class feeling happy, exhausted, and most importantly, loved.

“He’s got a knack for working with kids,” said Joshua Cox, Ferrum Elementary’s physical education teacher. “He’s got high energy and a great attitude. From the moment he walks in to the moment he leaves, kids are screaming and cheering for him.”

D surveys a dodgeball game with students.

So why does D spend two days every week singing silly songs and chasing students during a game called Welcome to the Kingdom of Snot? “At a young age I lost my mother and my father was absent for a period of my life,” explained D. “Often, as a child, I felt alone. Because of that, I don’t want any children or young adults to feel that way.”

Originally from Richmond, VA, D experienced some very difficult events during his childhood. He described struggling to have food daily and being held at gunpoint while witnessing a robbery. “I refuse to take anything for granted, preferring to appreciate everything in life, big or small, because of how I grew up,” he said. “I’ve always managed to keep a positive mindset because I feel like my life is bigger than me. My purpose is to inspire others. So I spend every day dedicated to accomplishing that.”

At Ferrum College, D is the student coordinator of the Disaster Recovery Team and has facilitated trips in Virginia and North Carolina to assist disaster victims in the aftermath of Hurricanes Florence in September 2018 and Michael in October 2018. He is president of the Ferrum College chapter of Help Save the Next Girl, an organization that seeks to educate young women about predatory danger, founded to honor 20-year-old Virginia Tech student and victim of predatory violence Morgan Harrington. Additionally, D is a Ferrum College admissions ambassador and social media technician. He is majoring in social work, minoring in recreation studies, and will graduate in May 2021. He plans to eventually start his own non-profit after-school program for kids. “It will be a place for kids to come and do homework while also being taught life skills and consistent motivation,” said D. 

My son received his Christmas wish when D came to play again.

According to Flora, there is a real need for school volunteers like D. “In today's society, families are more often non-traditional. Many students live with single parents, grandparents, extended family, blended families, and foster families. Teachers are required to take on so many roles: educator, nurturer, counselor, encourager, provider of basic needs, the list goes on. It does take the whole community working together to raise our children to be good citizens. Davon is a positive force moving in our community and we are so thankful for him,” she wrote.

“I enjoy spending time with the students,” said D. “I strive to be a positive role model for them. I want them to know they can make it in life no matter what they go through. They can make a positive impact on the world.”

In this season of thanksgiving and gratitude, I couldn’t be more grateful for D Robinson’s drive to make children feel valued. After all, they are our future. But D insists he is the grateful one: “I wouldn’t be doing any of this if my life didn’t happen the way it did. I’m thankful for everything.”

Check out D’s Instagram at dhr._