Calvin S. Robnik Memorial

This scholarship is awarded in memory of Calvin Spencer Robnik, who lived and worked in the Willmar, MN area from the time he was seven years old. Calvin was severely dyslexic but graduated from Willmar High School with a B average and, at the time, no one knew he could not understand written or printed material beyond a third grade level. Although physically handicapped with exertional asthma he played wide receiver on the football team and ran the high hurdles in track.
Upon graduation he took an entry level job selling cars at a dealership and through hard work advanced to managing the service department. In 2002, along with two partners, he founded “Willmar Auto, Sales and Service.” Because of his love for cars and people, coupled with his outgoing personality and desire to help anyone in need, his business thrived. Calvin then began losing his vision from an eye disease, called keratoconus, but fortunately his vision was restored by corneal transplants. He overcame adversity, always seeing the positive side of any situation.
His persistence in life was no match for a large, speeding SUV with a distracted driver who ran through a stop sign, broadsiding his car and killing him instantly on the day after Christmas in 2016. The world lost a very special person on that day.
Applicants who think about taking or making a cell phone call, studying their route on a digital map or texting while driving are urged to pull off the road safely so as not to join the half million people who are injured each year, the 4000 who die, or, be responsible for the death of an innocent person, like Calvin, whom a distracted driver killed on December 26, 2016.