Growing up at the other end of Route 12 in Chenango Bridge, this local mortgage broker says she has seen life change before her eyes and in turn has learned many lessons along the way.
After graduating from Chenango Valley high school, Cathy Robinson got married at age 19 and began her family. By the age of 21, Robinson says she faced one of the first experiences that would refocus and change her life forever. “I became a single parent,” she said.
Raising a child on her own, Robinson says, was not always easy. “Sometimes I worked two or three jobs at one time,” she said, trying to do whatever she could not to become a statistic, and to teach her daughter how to be a strong woman.
By the time Robinson was 26, she decided she wanted to work in the mortgage business and entered the field. Two years later, Robinson started serving Chenango County and immediately realized how much she liked the area. By 2001, Robinson began operating a branch office of Sun Mortgage Company on Mechanic Street in Norwich and moved to Oxford from Binghamton where she had been commuting to work. “I decided to make my home in Chenango County,” she said.
Robinson explains during the time in which she was trying to make ends meet, home-school her daughter and keep a positive attitude about life, she was determined to show her daughter that anything is possible. “There is nothing to be applauded about giving up,” she said.
Operating the mortgage company is a job she loves. “We measure its success by the people we serve and the community we serve and both are appreciated greatly,” she said. “We are very committed to strengthening our community be helping more of its residents become homeowners.” 
Robinson says besides aiding individuals with home buying efforts, just three years ago she “rediscovered” her love for community theater. “I acted and loved the theater when I was growing up,” she said.
Robinson started venturing into different venues and performed first with Tri Town theater, the community theater group based in Sidney. In 2005 Robinson played the role of Mother Superior in “The Sound of Music” for Chenango Community Players, a theater group based in Norwich.
Another passion Robinson discovered she had was writing. After roughly two years of planning, writing and editing, she is currently seeking publication for her first novel, “In the Shadows of Angels,” a book that explains the process of giving oneself permission to live following the death of someone they cared for. Robinson says the book is a mix of women’s literature and inspirational fiction which transpired following the feelings she felt after her father passed away two years ago.
Between working, acting and writing, Robinson says her other great passion is to rescue animals. She is involved with a local animal rescue group and says she transports animals that need saving. “I have five cats and three dogs,” she said.
“I really do believe that one person can change the world,” said Robinson. She also says one day she would love to open a sanctuary for cats rescued from the southern part of the country where the animal population is flourishing and many of them have no where to go.
Editor’s Note: “Chenango Stories” puts the spotlight on those people whose compelling stories you might not otherwise hear. If you know someone who is interested in telling their “Chenango Story,” contact Jill Kraft at 337-3075 or e-mail: jkraft@evesun.com.