#goviks

For this Portland State alum, the sky’s the limit

For first-generation Portland State alumnus and Portland native Robert Gill, one master’s wasn’t enough. So he got two.

Now he is a family therapist in Portland, and is working toward becoming a licensed clinical social worker.

Robert said he decided early on to push the limits of what a black man is expected to become, and to help people of color face mental health issues that are stigmatized and pushed to the side.

"For all people and especially for my people of color, I know it's tough, I know it's hard but you gotta keep going,” Gill said. “At the end of the day what you want to do is gonna help someone else that looks like you, and if you let your dream go by at the wayside, then you can't help that person. … If you don't think you're ever enough, you are enough. You have to love yourself.”

He received his master’s degrees in Social Work and Human Services Management from Portland State University in 2018. He credits his success at PSU to 3 key factors: getting to know his professors; taking advantage of internship opportunities; and networking.

Besides his work as a therapist, Robert is developing a dating app called For Real Intent that focuses on “healthy dating” rather than “hooking up.”

His advice to other students is simple: "Just don't ever give up.’