Clemson family atmosphere shapes student for global competition
Benjamin Ward has studied European politics in the British Isles, interned at the U.S. State Department in Germany, studied energy and the environment in Iceland and immersed himself in the history and culture of Turkey. He has worked as an intern with the South Carolina Department of Commerce. At Clemson University he has been co-president of the Clemson ONE Campaign to fight AIDS and world poverty.
Ward’s experiences have given him a global view necessary in a global economy. And he credits Clemson with creating thousands of miles of opportunity.
“What I like most is the fact that learning at Clemson extends beyond the classroom and beyond the syllabus,” Ward said. “My diplomacy professor didn't just teach us the subject from a book, he told us his own stories from his career as an accomplished diplomat.”
These experiences are shaping Ward for a future in economics, whether as a professor or in business as an analyst or economist. A native of Columbia, S.C., and an economics graduate student, Ward wanted the challenge and opportunities made available at a research-intensive national university. He chose Clemson after receiving offers from the University of Virginia, George Washington University and Georgetown University.
“I admired the sense of family that is unique to Clemson,” he said. “Clemson is more than just a school, it is a community, and the members of that community wholeheartedly support one another in good times and bad. The benefits of being a member of the Clemson family will continue long after I graduate.”
In addition to his classes, Ward sings with the Men's Glee choir and is a big supporter of Clemson athletics.
“I have traveled everywhere from Florida to Massachusetts to cheer the Tigers on,” he said.
To read more stories about the determined spirit of Clemson’s faculty, staff, students and alumni, visit www.clemson.edu/determined.