DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A Seminole State College student was recognized on Tuesday after he rescued children from a van driven into the ocean by the children's mother earlier this year.
"I'm hitting buttons, then finally the back window came down. That's when I reached in and grabbed the son first and the daughter second," Stacy Robinson said of the Daytona Beach rescue.
Robinson said he was just in the right place at the right time, but Seminole State College is honoring him because officials think his actions were much more than that, They are calling him a hero.
College officials say that Robinson is the kind of role model they want on their campus, and Robinson has been given a $1,000 scholarship as thanks for his quick action.
"Every little bit helps," Robinson said of the scholarship. "I'm thankful for the most part."
Robinson greets the recognition with modesty and humility, and recalls watching the video of the rescue.
"I get chills every time I watch it. It's unexplainable and, at times, I can't believe it's me in the video," he said.
But Robinson said he hopes others can learn from his experience, because he thinks everyone can be a role model and an everyday hero.
"If you can be the one to help change a life in a moment like that, do what you can," Robinson said.
Robinson said that he has not kept up with the latest news about Ebony Wilkerson, the mother driving the van, but he has a message for her children: "I hope they're OK at this point and hopefully we'll meet again one day."