RANGELY, Colo. (November 28, 2022) – For much of the last few weeks, Candra Robie has been throwing herself into her work.
 
The longtime CNCC athletic director and administrator recently announced she was leaving the institution after a long tenure, leaving behind many years of building the Spartans into the type of junior college program she envisioned. As the days left on her tenure wind down, the accomplished administrator is spending time reflecting on the journey of her time in Rangely.
 
"I started at CNCC when I was 22 years old, and I played at a very competitive, nationally ranked program in college," she said. "I thought as a coach that everyone should bow down to athletics. I could not have been more wrong.
 
Robie has pioneered many significant accomplishments in her time with CNCC, whether it be starting a booster club, establishing a strong tenure of compliance, or even improving facilities. All of it has taken many hours and significant strategic planning, leaving her with feelings of great accomplishment.
 
"It may sound like a simple task but CNCC had a difficult time getting stats in on time, having proper game management, paying conference dues and officials on time, etc.," she said. "I have been so proud to not have the conference worry about whether CNCC has taken the right steps each season to compete.
 
CNCC has played a significant role in Robie's life, with all of her professional career surrounding the institution. When looking back at the growth of her career, she also reflected on her personal growth.
 
"CNCC helped me really see the value of communication," she stated. "Communicating with other departments on campus and working together as an institution made my life in athletics a whole lot easier."
 
Looking ahead to her life after being the Athletic Director at Colorado Northwestern, Robie said she is looking forward to more time with her family.
 
"I am excited to spend more time with my children," she said. "I have three daughters, with the oldest in middle school and traveling for her own athletics. My job takes up a lot of weekends and nights with home events. I am looking forward to having much more time with my family and starting a new path in my life."
 
Being an athletic administrator is a rewarding job, surely, but it's a hard job. It can be lonely; it can be defeating; it can be frustrating. The motivations to keep going are many but for Robie, the lifestyle at CNCC made the job worthwhile.
 
"The Rangely community is full of amazing people," she stated. "They are friendly, supportive and will jump in to help whoever, whenever. CNCC is a family; we have to support one another because we all of the goal of students first. To achieve the goal of helping students, we work as one unit."
 
With the Spartans positioned for success under a new athletic director, Robie said her daily interactions with student-athletes are what she will miss most.
 
"I have tried to be a strong female role model for our athletes," she said. "Our goal as a department is to teach life skills and make sure our athletes leave CNCC better than they arrived. We have so many students that come in from different backgrounds and home life situations that I try to provide a friendly atmosphere, so they feel safe to discuss any issues they feel necessary."