​​Robert D. McGhee began his college career ten years after he graduated from high school. He grew up in an impoverished home environment with drug-addicted parents. From the age of thirteen until the age of twenty-six, Robert himself struggled with drug addiction. His moment of truth came in a courtroom in the presence of a judge, where he was given two choices: prison or rehab. Robert completed the rehabilitation program, moved from his former environment and turned his life around.

With a family to support, Robert works full-time in a local grocery store while attending California State University, Stanislaus as a full-time student. Majoring in accounting, he has clear goals for his education and his future career in business.

Robert also volunteers in a mentoring program for at-risk youth to help steer them away from drugs and gangs.