Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor inspires during Clemson visit

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Sonia Sotomayor speaks at Clemson
When Sonia Sotomayor came to Clemson on Sept. 14, President Clements noted that it was the first time a sitting justice of the U.S. Supreme Court had spoken on campus.
But Justice Sotomayor made sure there was very little sitting. She moved through the packed house of more than 900 members of the University community, stopping several times to organize group photos as she candidly answered questions submitted in advance by students.
Vernon Burton, professor of history and director of the Clemson CyberInstitute, introduced Sotomayor as “not only my friend, but a true American hero.” The two have known each other since their days at Princeton University, where Sotomayor was once his research assistant.
Sotomayor spent an hour answering questions while weaving in personal anecdotes, inspiration and advice. Philosophy major Chiodera “ChiChi” Drayton-Smith asked Sotomayor what parts of her journey to becoming a Supreme Court justice were unexpected. Sotomayor responded that every turn was unexpected.
Sotomayor, who has served on the U.S. Supreme Court since 2009, grew up in public housing in the Bronx, New York. As a child, she never dreamed of being a lawyer or a judge, much less a Supreme Court justice. “To dream about something you don’t know is impossible,” she said.
Sotomayor went from the Bronx to Princeton, where she won the university’s highest academic honor. She attended law school at Yale and was editor of its law journal. After graduation, Sotomayor worked in the public and private sector, serving as an assistant district attorney in New York and was a partner at the law firm Pavia & Harcourt.
She was appointed to the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, then served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit before President Barack Obama nominated her as an associate justice of the Supreme Court in 2009.
Haley McKay, who is studying women’s leadership and communication and minoring in Spanish, wanted to know Sotomayor’s philosophy on leadership.
[pullquote]“Find the best in people, and appeal to that,” Sotomayor said. “Make people you are working with give you their best. Challenge them to be the best person they can be. Once you do that, they can rise to your expectations.”[/pullquote]
Students were clearly taken by Sotomayor’s dynamic talk. “As a Latina, to see someone like me presented on this campus, that’s so important to see,” said Amanda Arroyo, a graduate student in the department of history. “It’s nice to see someone that’s made it so far,” she said.
Sotomayor closed her appearance by talking about the difference between law and justice. William Powell, a student in modern languages, had asked what young people should know about the field of law.
“Let me start with what the law is not. It’s not about moral justice,” Sotomayor said. “One person’s justice is another person’s injustice.” In her field, there must be a steadfast belief in the rule of law, and Sotomayor has faith in the system she’s chosen.
“We’re not God. As judges, you can’t ask us to play God,” she said. “Laws are made by people. They can be changed by people.”
Sotomayor’s visit was sponsored by the President’s Forum on Inclusive Excellence in partnership with the Humanities Advancement board of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities.
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Young Alumni Council names 2017 “Roaring 10”

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Recognized young alumni

The Young Alumni Council recognized 10 young alumni as “Roaring 10” recipients due to their impact in business, leadership, community, education and philanthropic endeavors. The 2017 Roaring 10 are:

 
Suzanne Pickens Alvarez ’11, senior account executive on the client services team at Luquire George Andrews agency in Charlotte. She has raised funds for the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, volunteered for the Shepherd Center Society and created an endowment to benefit Clemson Student Affairs. She serves on advisory boards for Greek life and student affairs at Clemson, as well as supporting Clemson’s Tiger Brotherhood and Blue Key.
Elizabeth Armstrong Boylan ’08, government and public affairs manager for North America at Solvay. She has volunteered with the Junior League of Houston, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the Former Texas Rangers Association. She was president of the Houston Clemson Club for four years and has supported a number of initiatives in Clemson’s political science department.
Kevin Joseph Fitzsimmons ’08, captain and weapons company commander for 2nd Battalion 6th Marines. Deployed twice to Afghanistan, he was selected as the top lieutenant in the battalion, awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon. He has volunteered for the Marine Corps Marathon and supports the Clemson chapter of Sigma Nu.
Adam Thomas Haldeman ’09, Tetramer Technologies, where he has led the development of more than 100 new advanced polymer materials. He co-founded H2 Home Help LLC and serves as an elder at his church. He has mentored Clemson students through internships, co-ops and undergraduate research. He serves on the Undergraduate Curriculum Advisory Board for the materials science and engineering department and has collaborated on research with the Center for Advanced Fibers and Films.
John Mark Hendrick III ’08, director of governmental affairs for the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. A captain in the S.C. State Guard, Hendrick serves on the national council for the American Israel Public Affairs Commission and on the board of the Coastline Women’s Center. He is a past member of Clemson’s Young Alumni Council and participates in the Second Century Society in Columbia.
Steven McMillian Hughes ’17, founder and director of program development for Know Money Inc. He has partnered with Transitions South Carolina to help homeless clients and is the founding curator of the Columbia hub of the Global Shapers Community of the World Economic Forum. At Clemson, Hughes has worked with Emerging Scholars, Omega Psi Phi fraternity and the Career Workshop. He has also helped establish an endowment to create scholarships for minority students at Clemson.
Kevin Michael McKenzie ’97, M ’01, Ed.D. ’10, vice president and chief information security officer of Dollar Tree Stores Inc. McKenzie serves on the Strategic Advisory Board for the International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals and as a deacon in his church. McKenzie has collaborated on numerous federal research grant proposals with Clemson faculty. He currently serves on Tidewater Community College Technology Advisory Board.
Connelly-Anne Bartle Ragley ’05, M ’08, government relations associate at Denny Public Affairs. She is involved with the Junior League of Columbia and serves on the board for Senior Resources Inc. Ragley has mentored students in Clemson’s College of Business and at the University of South Carolina while participating in Columbia College’s Institute for Leadership and Professional Excellence. She has served as an at-large member of the Young Alumni Council and sponsored Clemson’s 2016 Fall Band Party.
Joseph Cyrus Semsar ’09, deputy chief of staff for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. He began his career with Teach for America, where he helped bring NBC to his school for a $3 million renovation. A Coca-Cola Scholar, he stays involved with the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation through coaching scholars and training at the Leadership Development Institute. He served as president of Clemson’s Young Alumni Council and currently serves on the Alumni Association board.
Mark Nicholas Ziats ’07, resident physician in the University of Michigan Health System. He has published more than 20 journal articles and started a biotechnology consulting firm. He co-founded Autism Explained, which produces a podcast to educate a lay audience about autism. A volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, he has served on Clemson’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences’ Alumni Board and mentors students in the Calhoun Honors College and through Tiger Ties.

Coral Crusader

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Coral reefs in the Florida Keys, Caribbean and throughout the world are in dramatic decline. Kylie Smith, a graduate student from Clemson, has made it her mission to help restore one of the ocean’s most endangered species.

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Travelers Winter 2018

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Zack Geiger ’13 and Andy Burns ’15 took a three-day tour through the Sahara Desert near Merzouga, Morocco. The pair rode camels into the desert, snapping a picture on the sands with their Tiger Rag on the way to a nomadic campsite. “It was an exhilarating trip made all the more exciting by angry, spitting camels and our guide quitting on day two after a dispute with the driver. It truly was the trip of a lifetime,” Burns says.

William Stevens '67 and granddaughter Lucy Stevens ‘18 pose with the rest of their family at the Eiffel Tower, celebrating William’s 50th wedding anniversary with wife Linda. Clinton Smith ’03 (far right) snapped a photo with Sam Kariuki and Cathy Inabnit in Kisumu, Kenya. Greg ’84 and Carol ’87 Smith in Spain on the Camino de Santiago, the pilgrimage path to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Toni Seals, Mike Seals ’85, Anne Weldon Zarbock ’88 and Jeff Gallaher ’78 brought their Clemson orange to the Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park. Whitney Sanders ’01 and company showing her Tiger pride in Switzerland. Barbara Mishoe Robertson ’74, M ’75 kept her balance visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Pisa, Italy. Michael Rerko ’17 and Ryan Auger ’17 in front of a glittering Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Rees Porcari ’11 packed his Tiger Rag on a mission trip to Brie, France. Robert Parker ’81 and his wife Carol Wheeler in Iceland in July, 2017. James Owens ’65 and his wife Kay visited the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. Neal O’Sullivan ’17 explored the Prambanan Temple in Indonesia during his travels of Southeast Asia following graduation. Sandy Erskine Morgan ’74 and Kathy Davis ’75 brought their Tiger Rag on their vacation to the Netherlands in April 2017. Ensign Daniel Minnick stood with his parents, Mike Minnick ’81, Ph.D. ’84 and Anne Minnick ’83, aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz in Bremerton, Washington, shortly before its current deployment to the Persian Gulf. Bob McGill ’90 took his Tiger Rag scuba diving in the Peacock Springs cave system in Live Oak, Florida. Steve Matonak ’83 in front of the Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest, Hungary. Dennis ’12 and Emily Griffin ’14 Kiff celebrated their honeymoon in Phuket, Thailand, in January, 2017. Van HA ’09 and Ashley Champion ’94 Jones visited the Grand Canyon with their family. Amanda Hrubesh ’13, Collin Clemons ’16 and Will Middlebrooks ’14 at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Amanda and Collin met at Clemson and plan to wed in May 2018 with Will as a groomsman in the ceremony. Peter Horn ’86 and Tammy Horn brought their Clemson flag to the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska. Megan Hoffman ’13, Tate Fennell ’11 and Lauren McDonald ’15 in front of the giant Ferris wheel known as Cosmo Clock 21 in Yokohama, Japan. Floyd Harris ’78 traveled throughout Vietnam visiting children’s schools and orphanages in preparation for teaching English as a second language. He shared his Tiger pride with local university students in front of the Saigon Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh City. Hayden Grooms ’16, Natty Long ’17, Nate Adams ’16, Eric Schelble ’16 and Andrew Caitlin ’15 visited Churchill Downs before enjoying a Clemson football win at Louisville. Jason Flanders ’01, former Clemson football player, traveled to Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl with his wife Christen and Tiger cubs Madison and Robby. The family ventured up Camelback Mountain on the trip. Gary Faulkenberry ’65 and wife Toni enjoyed the canals of Venice, Italy, with their grandson Aiden. Jack Fallaw ’64, Ashley Dunnavant ’88, Deana Pilger ’91, Paul Dunnavant IV ’16 and C. Preston Dunnavant ’19 traveled to St. Andrews, Scotland, and piled three generations of Clemson Tigers onto the famous Swilcan Bridge. Phil Ellis ’71 and wife Ann near the Cliffs of Kilkee in County Clare, Ireland. John Ellis ’65 and his wife Margaret visited the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin before the 27th Anniversary of the German reunification. Charles Elfert ’67 and his wife Gail in front of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, Russia. Robert Duvall '84 and wife Phyllis summited Rendezvous Mountain in Grand Teton National Park. Jeff Dunlap ’78 and his wife Beth in front of the Belfry of Bruges, Belgium. Galen DeHay ’97, M ’99, Melissa Cooper and Daniel Cooper ’84, honorary Ph.D. ’07 on the floor of the Grand Canyon. Kathy ’75 and Maynard ’70 Davis wave their Tiger Rag over the Columbia Glacier on Prince William Sound in Alaska. Nathan Creel ’19 stands with his Clemson pennant over Machu Picchu in Peru. Karen Burns ’78 shows some Tiger spirit at Drum Castle in Scotland with her husband Randy. Computer engineering professor R.R. Brooks shares his Tiger spirit in Conakry, the capitol city of the Republic of Guinea in Africa. Pressley ’13 and Meagan Best ’13 of Irmo wave their Tiger Rag while on their honeymoon in Saint Lucia. Ron Arias ’87 with his wife Liz and son Ron Jr. visited the other Death Valley in California. Zabriskie Point and Manly Beacon can be seen to the right of the family. Hannah Creech ’15 braved the cold on Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Robert Bussmann ’16, Michael Dolan ’15 and Matt Koch ’15, all 2nd lieutenants, snapped a picture at Ft. Rucker, Ala., just before Dolan’s graduation from the U.S. Army’s flight school where he learned to fly the CH-47F Chinook, a heavy-lift cargo helicopter. Bussman is currently training on the UH-72 Lakota, a utility helicopter, and will complete his advanced training in the Chinook. Koch graduated flight school in October where he learned to fly the AH-64D Apache, an attack helicopter. Randy Ward, parking services, and Joyce Ward at Dead Horse Point in Moab, Utah. Jennifer Saylors ’98 at Letná Parks in Prague, Czech Republic. Andrew Sayer ’12 packed his Tiger Rag when he traveled to Alaska and explored Glacier Bay as well as the nearby areas of Skagway and Haines. Alton McLellan ’93 and Sam McLellan share their love of Clemson with a new friend in Gibraltar. Ray Massey ’92, Dave Christensen, Chad Blackston ’04 and Tom Wyatt posed on the iconic Swilcan Bridge with their Clemson golf gear at the Old Course in St Andrews, Scotland. Megan Lunn ’06, after landing at Lukla, one of the world’s most dangerous airports, hiked eight days to Mount Everest’s Base Camp, an elevation of 17,600 feet, waving her Tiger Rag to celebrate her accomplishment. Stewart Hurst ’82 and his wife Michelle at the UNESCO Heritage site in the Dolomite Mountains of Italy. Julianna Ellis ’14, Patrick Welsh ’80, M ’82 and Virginia Ellis ’17 at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. Rebecca Cook ’19 and her father John Cook Jr. ’71 visited Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. Carl Brown ’83, Grace Ann Brown ’88, Jim Brown ’15, Mary Hunter Brown ’17, West Brown and Clayton Stoddard ’17 wave their Tiger Rag under the waves while scuba diving in Great Guana Cay in Abaco, Bahamas. Chris Berry ’17 summited Mt Fuji in Japan during his summer internship for his master’s degree in engineering at Clemson.

Ring Stories: A Clemson Family

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For the Lanhams, the Clemson ring runs in the family.

Lanham Family Rings“Connection.” That’s what Janice Garrison Lanham ’88, M ’94 feels when she looks at her Clemson ring. Connection to her father, who never went to college but paid for her ring. Connection to other Clemson alumni, who have stopped her in line at the grocery store to show their own rings. Connection to her own Clemson family.

As a first-generation college student, Lanham fulfilled her parents’ dreams as well as her own when she graduated from Clemson with a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1988. After her master’s degree, she started teaching nursing at Clemson, something she wouldn’t trade for the world: “I get to nurse in California and Utah and North Carolina and Georgia all in the same day because I’ve educated nurses who have gone out to work in all of those states.”

Her husband, Drew Lanham ’88, M ’90, Ph.D. ’97, whom she met while they were students, also teaches at the University, and the couple practically raised their children, Kimberly and Colby, on Clemson’s campus. Both followed in their parents’ footsteps.

When Colby, the younger one, graduated, the Lanhams gathered outside of Bon Secours Arena after the ceremony.

“He couldn’t wait to get outside and take a picture,” Lanham laughs, remembering her son’s excitement. “We all laid our hands out and kind of welcomed him into the fold. It was really special.”

Lanham Family

Drew ’88, M ’90, Ph.D. ’97, Janice ’88, M ’94, Kimberly ’12 and Colby ’16, M ’18 Lanham

Do you have a ring story to share? Email shutto@clemson.edu for more information. Visit alumni.clemson.edu/ring for more ring stories.