People of Central: Mia Roby

Story by: Breanna Prince

With a lot of trial and error, second-year Mia Roby didn’t find the person she wanted to be until she attended college here at Central Michigan University.

She grew up in a small town, where everyone had an expected image of her.

“I think so many people had an image of me that was the small-town idea of a perfect student, blonde, on the volleyball or cheer team, when you think of the stereotypical ideal kid, that is who they saw me as,” she said. “I don’t feel like I was able to break out of that, and that was more of your peers [at school].”

During her time here, she has made many new friends who don’t judge her for who she is.

“I love that there’s little judgment here, she said. “The friends I made have seen me turn into a different person, and the whole time they have been cheering me on, and they were happy that I found myself.”

Roby has also picked up hobbies such as crocheting, where she spends many hours in her free time, or even class creating things like stuffed animals, the start of blankets, alternative rounds for face washing, and sustainable shirts. Recently she created her first wearable item, located in the photo. It took her a total of ten hours, with multiple days of work to create the final product.

She said she loves how functional her shirt is.

“I didn’t make it to make it, I can use it, and it has a purpose, and I love that it fits my style so well,” she said.

Within a month, Roby spends about $15 on yarn. She usually goes to places such as the Dollar Tree, to purchase her yarn.

“I don’t get expensive yarn, I typically find the cheapest yarn that I can find,” she said. “But if you want better quality yarn, you’re going to spend more.

It didn’t take Roby a long time to learn how to crochet. It’s now been a year of crocheting, and she fell in love with it.

“I think it’s something I picked up decently quickly, but before I feel like I was decent at it, she said. “Probably took nine to ten months [of learning] before I would give somebody [crochet items].”