Kenya N. Robinson’s path to a master’s degree from Yale School of Art looks nothing like the traditional academic ladder. In fact, she climbed it without the single credential almost everyone else considers mandatory: a bachelor’s degree.
Her story — full of grit, talent, reinvention, and defiance of expectation — has resurfaced thanks to a viral video celebrating her unconventional rise. But the full picture is even richer: a life shaped by curiosity, creativity, and a refusal to accept the limits others tried to place on her.
From Dean’s List to Dropout — and Another Beginning
Robinson began her college years conventionally. She studied anthropology, served as a school ambassador, was repeatedly named to the Dean’s List, and pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha. Then she veered off course.
One semester, she dropped out…