Month: April 2022

This week, we celebrated the hard work and achievements of an outstanding group of parks, recreation and tourism management students!

Awards were given to undergraduate students, graduate students and alumni. Each award winner was chosen based on his or her academic achievement, leadership and professional involvement and strength of character.

This week, we celebrated the hard work and achievements of an outstanding group of parks, recreation and tourism management students! 

Awards were given to undergraduate students, graduate students and alumni. Each award winner was chosen based on his or her academic achievement, leadership and professional involvement and strength of character.

2021 – 2022 winners are as follows:

Certificate of Academic Excellence: This recognition is given to students with outstanding GPAs. 

Maggie Brewer, Ann-Preston Campbell, Jillian Courtney, Berkley Derrick,Sarah Feller, McKenzie Maffett, Meredith Powell, Elli Seabrook, AubreyWease, Jordyn Weber 

Academic Achievement Award at the Junior Level & Senior Level: This award is presented to the junior & senior with the highest GPA. 

Juniors: Creighton Boyd, Mary Scott Brown, Madison Ederer, Grace Groke,Danielle Hess, Micah King, Leila Long, Elise Macaron, Nicholas Massey,Megan Medley, Thomas Romano, Jackson Satterfield Seniors: Claire Beaudry, Shelby Bentley, Grant Blasingame, SofieChirichiello, Ryan Schuchmann

Award of Excellence in Community Recreation, Sport and Camp Management: This award is presented to an outstanding senior in Community Recreation, Sport and Camp Managementon the basis of academic achievement, leadership and professional involvement in a CRSCM related field. 

Marie Benedetti and Davis King

Park and Conservation Area Management Founders and Leaders’ Award: This award is presented to a junior or senior in Park and Conservation Area Management who exemplifies the values, work, leadership and spirit of the founders and leaders of our public lands. 

Maggie Brewer

Award for Excellence in Recreational Therapy: This award is presented to a student who displays high academic standards while achieving excellence in Recreational Therapy through service to special populations and achievement in professional activities. 

Marley Neal

Award for Excellence in Professional Golf Management: This award is presented to an outstanding senior in PGA Golf Management on the basis of academic acheivement, leadership and professional involvement in golf management. 

Nolan Miller

Award for Excellence in Travel and Tourism: This award recognizes an outstanding student in Travel and Tourism based on academic achievement and demonstrated interest and dedication to the Travel and Tourism field. 

Cayman Williams

Markvan Bellamy Brooks Endowed Scholarship Award: This award is presented to an outstanding undergraduate student studying sport management. The scholarship recognizes the life and work of Robert H. Brooks, ’60 and Mark Bellamy Brooks, ’91. 

Nicole Entrup

Lawrence R. Allen Engaged Future Professional Award: This award is given to an undergraduate PRTM student who has demonstrated a commitment to professional engagement in the PRTM field.

Izzy Miller

Greg Schoper Leadership Award: Established to honor a graduate of the department who was killed in action in Vietnam, this award recognizes the department’s most outstanding student leader of the year. 

McKenzie Maffett

Stevenson-Smith-Lovett Award: Established in memory of the families of the donors, this award is presented to a rising senior who exemplifies personal qualities of integrity, love, compassion, service and a positive attitude. 

Emily Brady

Judith E. Voelkl Scholarship Award: This award recognizes a student who plans to serve the public through a career in the PRTM field, has academic achievement of at least a 3.0 GPA, and who exhibits the qualities of caring, compassion, commitment and spirit. 

Scarlett Lawthorne

Bert and Johnnie Brantley Outstanding Student Award: This award is presented to two PRTM seniors who have exhibited outstanding service to the PRTM Department, the University and the community during the student’s academic career at ClemsonUniversity while maintaining a 3.0 GPA. 

Shelby Bentley and Sarah Bratton

Marsha A. Ward ’79 Fellowship for Play: The Marsha A. Ward ’79 Fellowship for Play is awarded annually to a Clemson University graduate student inPRTM who demonstrates a commitment to play and the value of play in modern society. 

Leslie Heffington

Graduate Student Awards of Excellence: This award recognizes graduate students who are distinguished through academic achievement,scholarship, community service and perseverance. 

Anup K C, Olivia McAnirlin and Kaitlin Mueller

Francis A. McGuire Graduate Student Teaching Award: This award is presented to a graduate student who has shown excellence in teaching exemplified by the qualities of caring, passion and engagement with students. 

Ali Dubin and Felipe Tobar

Brett A. Wright Award for Graduate Student Achievement: This award recognizes graduate students who are distinguished through outstanding academic achievement. 

Rita Penniman and Tania Santiago-Perez

Outstanding Alumnus Award: This award is presented to former PRTM graduate student who have made outstanding contributions in the field of parks and recreation. 

Practitioner: Jennifer Bozard Academic: Dr. Melissa Weddell

PRTM Student Ambassador Recognition: This recognition is given to students who have represented PRTM as Student Ambassadors andhave helped to advance the mission of the department by sharing their experiences with currentand prospective students. 

Grace Caroline Bell, Taylor Bogucki, Sage Ennis, Alia Logoleo, Jordyn Weber

Recognition of Retirement: This award is presented to faculty and staff members in recognition of their years of service to the PRTM department and as a celebration of their retirement. 

Larry Allen, Ken Backman, Karin Emmons, Fran McGuire, TequillaStokes, David Taylor, Bill Quinn 

Recognition of Service: This award is presented to the person who provided impactful service and positive contributions to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. 

Paul Borick 

Distinguished Service Award: This award is presented in recognition of impactful service, positive contributions and steadfast leadership to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management.

Dr. Jeff Hallo

Marian’s story First, I would like you to consider this, if April is National Volunteer Month: do you limit your time to just once a month? Opportunities are at our fingertips all year round; you just need to look! Find a cause and change the world (or, at the very least, make a difference to those you care about!)

The COVID pandemic made me ponder a thought I had not visited in a while: why volunteering truly is at the heart of who I am? To answer this question, I would like to share what volunteering has brought to my life.

“Lending my spare time to a worthy cause”

As a single mother raising a young son alone, that had now begun his own friendships and hobbies, I started volunteering with a local cancer coalition – a cause close to my heart because of my experiences and an opportunity that helped me find my purpose. Lending my spare time to a worthy cause helped me discover resources that were available for people in communities needing assistance.

I had a job at the time, but money was still extremely tight. Not to mention, I was juggling being back in school and the mother to a now teenage son who required more nutrients. Between groceries, bills, and everything else it takes to survive, there just wasn’t enough money to go around.

“I found hope and a sense of joy in volunteering”

I eventually turned to my local SNAP office for help, but they informed me that I made $2.00 too much to qualify for any assistance. Can you believe that? $2.00! The only asset I had at the time was my car. Selling my car would have helped me to meet the criteria needed to receive food assistance but then I would have been without a car, and there was no way my son and I could have survived without transportation. I was discouraged, frustrated, and completely burnt out. Yet, the only place I found hope and sense of joy was in volunteering. Nevertheless, I kept my head down and continued to work in the community

“The rest is history!”

In the late 90’s, Clemson University faculty led the charge to begin community coalitions for cancer control and prevention. I secured a secretary position in the project to pursue my passion of working in community-based cancer work. My passion for work led to others seeing my dedication and commitment to the cause. That was nearly 27 years ago, and the rest is history!

Today, I am a Faculty Associate /Community Outreach Coordinator in PRTM/YDL. My adult son now volunteers with a youth mentoring program as well as a homeless coalition in Los Angeles CA. I spend much of my spare time these days volunteering at the local United Way Backpack Program, Farm to Table Food Insecurity Program, Susan Komen Breast Cancer programs and Camp Crest, just to name a few.

“I’m grateful for the opportunities Clemson University has afforded me to see volunteerism through such a wide lens”

I’m always encouraging young people to volunteer with local nonprofits. I want them to know the importance of giving back because you never know when the table’s going to turn. Many people think because you work, you don’t have time to volunteers as well. Perhaps this is true in some cases; however, speaking from personal experience, you can always find time to volunteer and help others.

Volunteering, even at a time when I needed help myself, is why I continue to give back. So much has been given to me. I’m grateful for the opportunities Clemson University has afforded me to see volunteerism through such a wide lens. It is now my mission to continue advocating for volunteerism so that others might be filled with hope and experience the joy of giving back the way I have.

Finally, I would like to thank you for taking time to read my story and leave you with this,

Good leadership and community spirit can turn the downside of social ills into classrooms of engagement and service. Volunteering can be inspirational to those of us determined to leave a situation better than when we found it.

Like What You’ve Read?

Marian is currently developing a Special Topics undergraduate course in Volunteerism that we hope will be available through our Youth Development Programming undergraduate course in 2023*. If you’d like learn more about the course, reach out to youthdev@clemson.edu.

Marian’s expertise in community-based research and volunteerism is just one example of the diverse content included in our online Master’s of Science degree in youth development leadership (36 credit hours, 12 courses, 2 years) and our Graduate Certificate in youth development leadership (15 credit hours, 5 courses). These programs are uniquely designed for professionals working in youth development settings. For more information, visit https://www.clemson.edu/cbshs/departments/prtm/degrees/graduate-degrees/youth-development-leadership.html or email youthdev@clemson.edu

Reading and References

*If accepted, books that will be used for upcoming Special Topics class on Volunteerism are: The New Breed: Understanding and Equipping the 21^st Century Volunteer, and Volunteer Engagement 2.0: Ideas and Insights Changing the World