Four times, she watched as her children lived her dream.

Four times, she let them know how proud she was as they went to college.

Four times, she told herself, “I wish it could’ve been me.”

But now, 54-year-old Tracy resident Robin Stromberg doesn’t have to wonder. She holds, with pride, a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Stanislaus — something she couldn’t imagine when she was 18 and a high school graduate.

Stromberg graduated in May 2008 with a 3.99 grade-point average. The one “B” on her record was from a physical education class in 1980.

“I’m a little bit jealous,” said Stromberg’s son, Brent, a student at California State University, Sacramento. “I’m still going to school and she’s finished, so I kind of wish that I was finished as well. She raised four kids, so she kind of put her life on hold for that.”

Stromberg, who graduated in May 2008, said she knew her family couldn’t afford college when she was younger.

“Being a kid, I did what a lot of kids did — I gave up,” she said. “I went out and got a job. And then, you know, a few years later, I got married and had children.”

Stromberg is proud to say that all four of her kids went to college.

But a few years ago, she started thinking about what it would take to go back herself. Stromberg said she and her husband, Kirk, agreed to save whatever money she got from being a teacher’s assistant. That money paid for her studies at San Joaquin Delta College, but they had to dip into savings for the bachelor’s degree.

As a student, math was her biggest challenge. For that subject, Stromberg said she relied on the help of her youngest son, Scott, a University of Utah student, though she said all her kids were happy to lend support as she made the transition from fresh laundry to freshman.

Brent carpooled with his mom to Delta College, before they transferred to universities. He said having her there was a motivational factor, knowing that he’d have no reason to stay in bed and miss a class.

“That helped me more than it helped her, just getting me to school every day,” Brent said.

Though Stromberg was much older than most of her classmates, she said the traditionally college-aged kids tended to look to her as a motherly figure. Soon enough, she was getting invites to study sessions.

The coursework was hard, including a semester where she had to do 60 hours of field work at a school in preparation for her teaching credential, but it was worth it, Stromberg said. She was proud to stand on stage as a graduate.

Stromberg said much of the family showed up to the commencement ceremony. Her grandkids even wore shirts that said, “My grandma is smarter than a fifth-grader.”

“It felt pretty good seeing my mom up there, finally accomplishing what she’s always wanted to,” Brent said. “It’s never too late to pursue what you want to do.”

Stromberg is now a substitute teacher for three local school districts and hopes to find full-time work as a teacher soon. She said that teaching (or being a librarian) has been her lifelong dream.

Stromberg loves working with kids as a teacher’s aide and as a member of Hidden Lake Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Helping others comes naturally to Stromberg. In addition to her work with her church, she enjoys doing craft work for charitable causes such as the American Cancer Society Relay For Life. She also creates wedding cakes for friends and family.

“If there’s a need, I try to fill it,” she said. “The Bible tells us the First Commandment is to love God, and the Second Commandment is to love each other. The first one is what we ought to do, and the second is how we do it.”

Meet Robin Stromberg

Age: 54

How long in Tracy: 27 years

Born: San Francisco

Education: Associate’s degree, liberal studies, San Joaquin Delta College; bachelor’s degree, liberal arts, California State University, Stanislaus

Work: Substitute teacher

Family: Husband, Kirk; kids: Dale, 31, Catherine, 30, Brent, 26, Scott, 23

Favorite class at CSUS: Children’s literature

• In the Spotlight is a weekly profile in Our Town. To nominate someone to be In the Spotlight or to comment on this week’s story, contact Our Town Editor Justin Lafferty at 830-4269 or jlafferty@tracypress.com.