Early Greenville College

On September 25, 2014 the Moore Scholars hosted an event in which students from Early Greenville College were able to come and tour Clemson to see what it was like to attend a university. As I waited for the buses to arrive I was very excited to show off my school and to teach these kids what it is like to be a college student. As 6th graders, these students still have a while to go before they think about attending college, but as we showed them around campus you could see the interest and excitement in their eyes. They thought our small dorm rooms were the coolest places to hang out and they loved seeing different parts of campus and learning about Clemson's history. Their excitement was contagious and I couldn't help but become excited with them as I started to see my campus through their eyes and appreciate how much I have here at Clemson. As the students left I was happy to know that I was able to make a difference in their lives, if for only a few hours. I truly felt like an "agent of change" because I was able to show students how great college is and motivate them to work hard in school so that one day they could experience college like I have been able to. Unfortunately I was not able to participate all day in the event due to a review session, however, the time I did spend with the kids was unforgettable and a great experience. I am proud to call myself a tiger and proud that I am part of an organization that allows me to help influence others in a positive way.

Greenville Early College- September 25, 2014

Being a part of the Greenville Early College visits is always a delight. To see the joy on the children's faces is truly rewarding. It is so humbling to see how excited they are to be on a college campus and how amazing they think every aspect of it is.

I was fascinated with the amount of questions that several children asked during the visit. This demonstrated that they truly had a willingness to learn and were excited about the field trip. During the campus tour and the planetarium visit, the students were mesmerized with Clemson's campus and college life. Their incredible passion and motivation demonstrates these children want to overcome any obstacles in their paths. All of the children appear to be full of energy and ready to learn, and this willingness is what will allow them to succeed. 

If these children receive the support from others that they need, they can make it to high school graduation. Exposing them to college campuses will lead them to even furthering their education. It is amazing to be a part of showing these students that they can succeed. 

GEC sweet 6th graders!
Working with the students from GEC today was one of my favorite memories at Clemson so far. Of course, learning about the kids during classroom time and through reading The Water is Wide has been very educational. It has helped me understand so much about low income and “at risk” schools that I did not realize. But I have to say, actually seeing the kids’ faces today and putting a face to the types of students that we discuss in the classroom was so rewarding. It motivates me even more to put 100% effort into this program now that I have a face to think of. We are part of something HUGE! We can change a kid’s life—we have that capability and we have a responsibility. I loved hearing the kids today talk about coming to Clemson and becoming a tiger. I want to make that a possibility for kids who are seen as incapable of earning a degree from such a prestigious school. An 11-year-old little girl today asked me “Do you have to be picked to go to Clemson?” It stirred a thought in me that those kids have the same dream we do and should be equipped with the education necessary to achieve their dreams. Also, a boy named Andres found a purple Clemson pin on the ground and proudly proclaimed as he put it on “I am a Clemson student now!” These moments remind me what we are working towards with this program. It was so rewarding to be with those kids and can’t wait to see them again!

GEC has Moore Fun!

Today the 6th grade students from the Greenville Early College program came to Clemson for their tour from the Moore Scholars and it was a blast! The Moore Scholars, both cohort A and B, have been busy planning this event and I would say it went great, if not better than I expected. We arrived in the Holmes ballroom to set up and go over the game plan before the students and their teachers arrived around 10:30. The day consisted of 4 main activities, a campus tour, a show in the planetarium, a housing tour and lunch. When the students arrived we split them into 3 groups and were on our way to explore campus. It was so helpful to have the big group with both cohorts leading today because each group had around 17-20 students. These students were great to work with and I heard all day long how they cannot wait to be a Clemson Tiger someday. My group did not start off shy, they were asking questions, interacting with students and learning all they could about the life of a Clemson student. We got to see Bowman field, Tillman, the amphitheater, Cooper Library, the academic success center and a classroom. These stops on the tour all corresponded to a scavenger hunt along the way to learn more about the history of our tour stops. Next, we played a game to break the ice and learn more about the GEC students before heading to one of my favorite places on campus, the planetarium show. The Clemson planetarium is a hidden gem that not many people know about or use and its free for everyone to use. Students went on a tour of the solar system and were engaging and asking questions the whole time. Final stop on the tour was a Clemson House dorm where the Moore Scholars Living Learning Community is housed. It gave these students a look at what it was like to be a Clemson student and where we live. This got them really excited and one student asked if she could stay instead of going back to school. Group C was also able to meet a football player, number 94, which got the students even more excited about the possibility of coming to Clemson one day. We headed back to lunch and were able to teach the GEC students the cadence count so I would say they are more than ready to be Clemson Tigers. I had a blast working with all the students and they were all so engaged and loving to learn all about Clemson.

6th Graders from GEC Visit!

September 2, 2014

The sixth graders from the GEC came to campus today from 10am-1pm! This was this particular group's first time visiting a college campus and I'm so glad that this first visit could be to Clemson. Each group had about 16 kids and 2 teachers in it along with 4-5 Moore Scholars from cohorts A and B. It was great getting to bond with Cohort B too, together the two cohorts make a great team! We took the students on a tour of a dorm room in Clemson House, then on a campus tour, and then to the planetarium before wrapping up with lunch and games back in the Holmes ballroom. It was so fun to see how enthralled the students were with campus and the various buildings. I know that my students were really excited to see simple things like the library and the reflection pond, that I guess we, as Clemson students, take for granted since we see them every day. It brought me a renewed sense of "wow my school is really awesome" when I saw how excited they were. I even heard a few of my students say that they want to attend Clemson and it was really neat getting to talk to them individually about what they want to be when they grow up or where they might want to go to school. A couple of the girls in my group want to be teachers, so I was excited to share with them about education classes and Clemson in general. Since we are in the midst of midterms here on campus, I really enjoyed having the students here to see that even in the chaos of midterms, papers, and life itself, Clemson is still amazing and teaching is still what I want to do in life. Thanks Moore Scholars and GEC for making a busy time so much fun! Can't wait until we get to do it again next semesters with the 7th and 8th graders!