Dear students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of CAAH:
It was a pleasure to meet visiting students and their parents at the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities fall open house. Image Credit: Clemson University Relations
The great strength of a land-grant university is that it adds to the quality of the lives of the people that we serve in our state, nation and world. That may sound like an exaggeration, but Clemson has a presence on every continent, including Antarctica. The value that we add to people’s lives is frequently the result of talented and dedicated individuals working together to make great things happen.
The team approach is always powerful, yet sometimes the efforts of individual students can touch people’s lives in a variety of personal ways. Hundreds of stories could be told, but I wanted to share the following one, brought to my attention during recent weeks.
While walking through Grand Central Station in New York City, a Clemson student majoring in American Sign Language stopped to help a blind gentleman holding a sign asking for directions to customer service. As Teresa Clancy approached the gentleman, she realized he was also Deaf. Thanks to her training at Clemson, she was able to hold his hands and have a conversation about what had happened. Clancy helped him get on the next train to his destination and helped him find a seat on the train. She asked the conductor to tap him on the shoulder when he got to his stop and she repeated the plan to the traveler. When she prepared to get off the train, other passengers asked if it was safe for her to leave her friend on the train. To their amazement, Clancy responded that they had just met. What a great example of how acts of kindness can add value to people’s lives, no matter how large or small!
What impresses me the most is that there is almost no end to these kinds of stories.
Brittany Lacy is a construction coordinator for the Clemson University Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter. Her time volunteering convinced her to pick up a minor in nonprofit leadership in addition to her major in construction science and management. Image credit: Courtesy of Brittany Lacy
Two students studying construction science and management have dedicated considerable time and energy to the advancement of the Clemson University Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter. Construction Coordinator Brittany Lacy and Assistant Homecoming Build Coordinator Marissa Bischoff are other examples of students using what they’ve learned at Clemson to add value to other people’s lives. As I’m sure you know, through their efforts and the efforts of others in our community, Clemson is helping provide affordable housing, and our students are gaining valuable hands-on experience. What a wonderful example of the meaning of the Clemson Family!
There are numerous examples of Clemson students helping rural communities in South Carolina, including those enrolled in our Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) and Master of Resilient Urban Design (MRUD) programs. Through these projects and partnerships, they are adding value that can only be accurately measured in the years to come.
Our students carry a devotion to service into their lives beyond Clemson – even to other continents. Charity Shaw, a Gates Scholar and member of the Class of ’17, traveled to Africa to work on an individual basis with women’s groups and support their efforts to improve reproductive health. A graduate of the Women’s Leadership program, Shaw is now pursuing a master’s in public health at Emory University. This kind of service gives students an opportunity to learn more about the power of nonprofit organizations, and to gain an appreciation for the complexity of these kinds of problems in other areas of the world. Once again, our students are using what they have learned at Clemson to add value to other communities, no matter how far away.
Other notes from our College
President Jim Clements invited Todd Anderson, center, to attend the Florida State game on Oct. 12 as Professor of the Game. The printmaker and Clemson professor is observing and visually documenting researchers and the environment in Antarctica.
President Jim Clements invited Todd Anderson, center, to attend the Florida State game on Oct. 12 as Professor of the Game. The printmaker and Clemson professor is observing and visually documenting researchers and the environment in Antarctica.
Thank you for all you do to advance the mission of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities,
Tim Boosinger
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