How a part-time job with the city’s parks turned a four-year stop into a full-time park-ing spot
In the beginning, Koen Roberson did not intend to park himself in Greensboro
The Baton Rouge, La. native began looking at universities in North Carolina after his parents moved here while he was still in high school.
“I’m grateful to be from Louisiana,” he says, “but I did not want to stay there. I turned down a full ride to Louisiana State University. It was between Appalachian State University and UNC Greensboro. Everyone thought App State was the place for me, that it fit my vibe. I toured it in the middle of summer; it was gorgeous. I toured UNCG in February, when it was cold and rainy, and the campus was dead. But something about it just spoke to me. I saw myself going here and being happy. So, I chose UNCG and I loved every second of it.”
Right Time, Right Place
He experienced great changes at UNCG during his time here, which began during the post-COVID doldrums just as the campus was starting to open up again.
“Student organizations had not yet fully come back in my first year,” he remembers. “In the last two years I’ve noticed a huge difference in campus life.”
Those years also marked a change in his professional goals. He’ll be graduating this semester with a double major in economics and geography, concentrating on geographic information science and urban planning. Initially, he wanted to become an urban planner. Then things began happening for him.
When a Side Gig Becomes a Career
“I started working for Greensboro Downtown Parks Inc. in August 2023 as a part-time park ambassador,” he says. “I just needed some money while I was in college, and I thought it would be cool to work at an urban park while studying urban planning. But I wasn’t expecting anything other than a little side job.”
After two years, GDPI promoted him to the crew chief position, a full-time job supervising the park ambassadors and park maintenance at both Center City Park and LeBauer Park and setting up events throughout the year. Then, in September, his career got another bump. That was when the events manager gave his notice, putting Koen squarely at the intersection of preparation and opportunity.
“During my time here, I moved out of being super invested in working as an urban planner,” Koen says. “I’m still passionate about the topics and content, but the appeal of becoming a Planner 1 or Planner 2 for a city kind of fell off.”
At GDPI, a nonprofit charged with maintaining and programming the city’s downtown parks, Koen had become more interested in the impact he could make through nonprofit management, so he applied for the job. He started the new position on Oct. 1.
“Koen was the last piece of an important staffing puzzle we were able to complete before embarking on the search for a permanent Executive Director,” says GDPI Interim Director Kevin Gray. “Koen fits the serious, fun, laid back, committed-to-excellence culture we have here at The Parks. His lack of ego and interest in serving our customers provides for a joyful interaction when he is working with event patrons.”
Honorable mentions
“My only relevant experience was as the Admissions and Planning Committee chair at Lloyd International Honors College,” he says. “I’ve been heavily involved in the Honors College since I started here. I don’t think it was something I understood at first — the resources the Honors College invested in me, the opportunities it presented, and how that experience would prepare me for what came next. I feel a lot more confident than I did three years ago. I feel confident sitting in those board meetings and administrative meetings. I feel like I can contribute, like I have a voice because of the development I had in those spaces.”
Now, equipped with a full-time position for the city, Koen’s commencement is truly more of a beginning than an end. Like so many other UNCG graduates, he’ll stay in NC and let his future unfold.
“Truthfully,” he says, “Greensboro was supposed to be a four-year stopover — I was going to get my undergraduate degree here and try to go somewhere exotic or cool for my graduate program. But there was something about my experience at UNCG and working downtown. I feel plugged into Greensboro enough that I want to stay for the foreseeable future. I didn’t grow up here, but I’m invested.”
Story by Brian Clarey, University Communications
Photos by Sean Norona, University Communications
CELEBRATE OUR GRADS!
Graduates and their families are encouraged to share their accomplishments on social media by tagging the University accounts and using the hashtag #UNCGGrad. Visit UNCG’s digital swag page for Commencement-themed graphics and templates.
Mention @UNCG in celebratory posts on Instagram and X and @uncgreensboro on TikTok.
