Engaged Students

CHANGED HER MIND.
CHANGED HER LIFE.

Lori Pindar ’09
Sumter, S.C.

When Lori Pindar considered colleges to attend, Clemson was not originally on her radar.
“I wanted to go to Duke or UNC,” she says. But when Clemson University offered Lori the opportunity to be a Clemson National Scholar, her thoughts quickly changed.
“Clemson offered me a full scholarship along with the chance to study in Europe after my freshman year and in Ghana during Maymester, as well as many other perks.”
Lori has since become a Clemson enthusiast. She spent the past Maymester in Ghana studying HIV/AIDS and received a grant to conduct a comparative analysis on the subject.
She is on track to apply for major fellowships and plans to go for her master’s and doctorate after graduating in communication studies in 2009.
“Clemson has given so much to me and has opened my eyes so much,” she says. “I hope to one day give back to Clemson.”

Leading Student Engagement
Students who choose Clemson University come for more than just an ordinary college education. They come for cutting-edge research; for the process of discovery; for hands-on, individualized instruction from faculty considered leaders in their fields; for opportunities to participate in community-service and study-abroad experiences. They come because they possess a competitive drive that actively seeks creativity, engagement and enrichment. Indeed, those who have experienced Clemson know that it has something different, an X factor that other schools envy. By combining the scientific and technological horsepower of a major research university with the highly engaged academic and social environment of a small liberal arts college, Clemson has honed its strengths — often called the “Clemson Advantage” — in its quest to become a top-20 institution.

The Reality
Active learning environments are a fundamental part of a Clemson education. As students develop knowledge sets and critical-thinking skills, faculty members push them to engage their lessons outside of the classroom through Clemson’s many initiatives.
From internship and leadership programs to global and technological initiatives, Clemson students have countless opportunities to apply new concepts and take intellectual risks. One of the most noteworthy student-engagement initiatives, Creative Inquiry, offers an intensive, discovery-oriented approach to learning that promotes ethical judgment, analytical and communication skills, and a deep understanding of scientific and humanities research.
Yet, while Clemson’s student-engagement opportunities are critical to preparing tomorrow’s visionaries, funding remains a challenge. Without adequate support, Clemson will be forced to scale back or eliminate programs. In the end, our students will miss out on life- and career-changing experiences, and the University will lose top recruits to other institutions that can afford these innovative programs.

The Need
Clemson University must raise private funding to continue and expand its key student-engagement
programs, including:

• Leadership initiatives and internship programs
• Global experiences
• Cutting-edge technology
• Creative Inquiry projects

The Impact
Funding for student engagement is vital to Clemson University’s success. With additional support, Clemson will be able to:

• Involve more students in international programs that prepare them for careers in the global marketplace.
• Expand Creative Inquiry’s applied-research and service-learning activities.
• Increase internship programs to help develop a skilled work force.
• Acquire cutting-edge technology vital to student and faculty advancement.
• Promote the “Clemson Advantage” — Clemson’s advanced scientific and technological horsepower combined with its highly engaged academic and social environment — Clemson’s edge over other top-20 universities.