Greetings fellow Tigers!
Giving back is a tradition at Clemson that dates back to the founding of our University. Because of the support of the Clemson family, we continue to build upon the foundation laid by Thomas Green Clemson and fulfill his vision of Clemson University as a “high seminary of learning.”
Members of our Clemson family – like Angelo and Heather Mitsopoulos – are impacting the future for our students as they establish their own legacies at Clemson. The Mitsopoulos family has made a significant financial pledge to name the event lawn at the Snow Family Outdoor Fitness and Wellness Center. Angelo earned an undergraduate degree in computer information systems with a minor in operations management in May 2003. He has worked for the Bank of America Corp. in Charlotte, North Carolina for more than 15 years. He was named to the inaugural class of Clemson’s “Roaring 10” by the Young Alumni Council in 2012. The Mitsopoulos family joined the Charlotte Clemson Club when they moved to North Carolina, and Heather eventually became its president. Heather graduated from Clemson in 2003 with a bachelor’s in secondary education. Angelo and Heather were later invited to a Student Affairs Advisory Board meeting; Angelo would go on to serve as chairman of the board, which preceded the Vice President’s Executive Council as the senior board for Student Affairs. As Angelo and Heather discussed how they could make an even greater impact on Clemson, the Snow Family Outdoor Fitness and Wellness Center was the perfect fit. You can read more about the Mitsopoulos family and their commitment here.
During Black History Month, Clemson’s Harvey and Lucinda Gantt Multicultural Center is honoring the works and sacrifices of African-Americans – like Mamie “Peanut” Johnson, the first female baseball pitcher to play in the Negro Leagues; Janie Glymph Goree, South Carolina’s first African-American female mayor; and Isaac Woodard, World War II veteran who was beaten and permanently blinded by police in Batesburg after he was forced off a Greyhound bus. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, an author, journalist and historian, founded Negro History Week in 1926 to highlight the progress of black people following the Civil War. The week turned into a month and is also known as African American History Month and celebrates black excellence and not just black suffering. Black History Month programming at Clemson aims to promote the diversity and complexities of black identity through multiple lenses and experiences. More information on the events are listed here.
The Second Century Lunch Club recently gathered in Columbia, where Sunny Dueland, Director of Student Athlete Development, discussed the Clemson Student-Athlete Development program and the impact this program has on all our student-athletes. Clemson Student-Development is dedicated to the holistic development of student-athletes to propel them toward success at Clemson and in life. Sunny and her team support our student-athletes in career development, community service and outreach, leadership development, and personal enhancement and responsibility. The Second Century Lunch Club had a chance to participate in an activity similar to our student-athletes by discussing their identity with their table.
ClemsonLIFE (Learning is for Everyone) is celebrating ten years of supporting young adults with intellectual disabilities, and ClemsonWorld has featured the program – and many of its students – in its latest issue. The future for this amazing program appears brighter than ever. This spring marks the 10th anniversary of the program, and over the course of a decade, it has evolved from an untested idea to a vital piece of the Clemson experience. Clemson and the surrounding community have embraced the program. In its work to equip students with occupational, social and independence skills, the LIFE program has not only influenced its students’ careers and independence; it’s brought inclusion into public conversation and prompted people to see disabilities in a different light. Thanks to the support of ClemsonLIFE students, ClemsonLife faculty and staff, University leadership and ClemsonLIFE supporters, this program will continue to thrive on our campus!
B-Bold!
Clemson has risen to the top, academically and athletically, by setting bold goals that we continue to reach – year after year. We can use our University’s leadership as an example of how we, too, can be bold in our efforts to move Clemson forward.
Clemson University Board of Trustees are on campus for the next two days to discuss and plan for the future of our University. In next week’s B-Note, I will share with you updates and announcements from our Board of Trustees – who work diligently throughout the year to make sure Clemson continues to be a top University. Thank you, Board of Trustee members, for your dedication and support of Clemson! And thank you, Clemson family, for your unwavering commitment!
Go Tigers!
Brian O’Rourke
