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2021 Roaring10 Honorees

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Every year, the Alumni Association honors 10 outstanding young alumni who have made an impact in business, leadership, community, education and/or philanthropy.

 

Meet the 2021 honorees:

 

Daniel R. Alexander ’11, M ’12

Alexander is director of operations for Anovotek, which specializes in textiles and performance technologies. He is an active advocate for increasing broadband and quality-of-life opportunities in South Carolina’s rural areas. As a graduate student, he helped create the Golf Paws program, which encourages financial support for Clemson’s golf teams.
 

Danielle Lester Arrington ’13

Arrington is director of talent acquisition in Clemson’s Office of Human Resources. She has been named a College and University Professional Association for Human Resources Rockstar and a Workforce Magazine Gold Optimas Award for recruiting.
 

Emily Martin Ewoldt ’13

Ewoldt, dentist and co-owner of Clemson Family Dentistry, is membership chair of the Clemson Rotary Club, where she is helping establish a satellite club for University employees. A member of Tri-County Dental Society, she speaks to University students interested in dentistry careers.
 

Christopher M. Harrington ’04, M ’19

Harrington, Clemson University police captain, has arranged specialized training for Upstate officers in force de-escalation, mental health crisis response and active bystandership skills and served as principal investigator for more than $300,000 in grant funding. He participated in a Clemson/AnMed Health Racial Equity Institute in 2019 and in 2020 was a panelist for AnMed Health’s Connect 2020 diversity and inclusion symposium.
 

Lauren Burdine Hood ’12, M ’21

Hood, York County 4-H youth development agent with Clemson Cooperative Extension, has led the York County 4-H Club to numerous state honors. She is president of the S.C. chapter of the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals. For Clemson, she is the Upstate District representative of the Extension Senate and a board member of the Women’s Alumni Council.
 

Jennifer Spaniel Moore ’10, M ’17

Moore is chief operating officer of Greenville, S.C.-based Graycliff Partners, a real estate development and investment company. She joined the company in 2014 and quickly rose through the ranks to the COO position in 2017. Moore volunteers for the Ronald McDonald House and is an advocate for local initiatives that develop young women in leadership.
 

Colleen J. Thomas ’13

Author of Beautiful Skin: A Children’s Book about Overcoming Racism, Thomas is the director of strategic impact for the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, a nonprofit that provides STEM field education for teachers and underserved students. She published Beautiful Skin, an Amazon #1 New Release in 2020, to help parents talk about and understand race, racism and diversity.
 

Daniel R. Thompson Ph.D. ’12

Thompson, laboratory manager for the Department of Physics and Astronomy, returned to Clemson in 2017 after five years as an engineer for General Motors. He supervises graduate teaching assistants, provides lecture demonstrations and conducts science outreach programs. He tutors undergraduates and mentors graduate students. In 2021, he received an Outstanding Team Award from the College of Science for exemplary service during the pandemic.
 

Kathleen Mourning Turner ’11

Turner, owner of Invited Grace Co., an interior design firm that serves the Upstate, Charlotte and the Carolina coast, is past president of the Clemson Young Alumni Council. Since 2017, she has helped organize their annual Fall Band Party in Greenville, S.C. In 2016, Turner chaired the Trident United Way of Giving in Charleston, S.C., raising more than $30,000.
 

Frances T. Yarbrough ’13

Yarbrough is a civil engineering team leader in the Charlotte office of the SeamonWhiteside landscape architecture, planning and civil engineering firm. In 2021, she was featured in an interview with Authority Magazine on ways to close the gender gap in traditionally male-dominated industries. Yarbrough is a member of the Urban Land Institute and volunteers with the Crisis Assistance Ministry and Roof Above, which provide individuals with emergency shelter, meals, income and housing assistance.
 
 

The Roaring10 2020 Nominees

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Young Alumni Council recognizes its 2020 nominees

 

The Roaring10 honor is given to individuals who exemplify the University’s core values of honesty, integrity and respect. Each year, 10 outstanding young alumni are recognized by the Young Alumni Council for their impact in business, leadership, community, educational and/or philanthropic endeavors.

 

The Roaring10 Class of 2020 were recognized in Fall 2021:

Brittany M. Hall ’11
certified nurse-midwife, Easley, S.C.

Caroline Aneskievich ’10, ’11, M ’15
BMW Group’s talent management specialist for the Americas, Greenville

Josh Tew ’10, M ’14
commercial real estate, Pintail Capital Partners, Greenville

Edwin Sabuhoro Ph.D. ’18
assistant professor in both the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management and the African Studies Program at Penn State University,
State College, Penn.

Dorothy H. Askins ’17
anesthesiology resident at Tulane University, New Orleans

Ansley Cartee Minor ’17
co-owner of Carolina Superstars Baton and Dance, Anderson, S.C.

Rebecca Leigh Stratford ’10
laboratory manager at the Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Clarksville, Tenn.

Spencer C. McLeod ’12, M ’14
operations manager for McLeod Farms, McBee, S.C.

Jordan M. Burns ’12
financial adviser and field director at Northwestern Mutual, Greenville

Lauren Harroff Trondsen ’12
Citywise Advisory Services, Sanergy, Ithaca, N.Y.

 

Roaring 10: 2019 Honorees

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Honesty, integrity, respect. Every year, the Clemson Young Alumni Council chooses 10 alumni who have graduated in the past 10 years who represent these core Clemson values. Each honoree is chosen based on their impact in business, leadership, community, educational and/ or philanthropic endeavors.

Roaring 10
 
 

Meet the 2019 Roaring 10: Nadia Nadim Aziz ’09, program manager for “Stop the Hate,” the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law; Samantha Lynn Bauer ’10, sales and marketing manager at Zen Greenville; Tyler Andrew Brown ’09, M ’10*, conservation districts program manager for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources; Amanda Jane Hobbs ’14, associate consultant at Goldratt Consulting; Harold P. Hughes ’08, M ’14, CEO of Bandwagon FanClub, Inc.; Ryan D. Lee ’09, COO of LewisGale Medical Center; Ramakrishna Podila Ph.D. ’11, assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Clemson University; Dominique Jordan Sensabaugh ’12, creator and curator of Dominique Sensabaugh Lifestyle Brand; Martin Tiller ’10, business development and leader of Event Rentals of Anderson and Orange Property Management; and Benjamin J. Winter ’13, United States Navy lieutenant.

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.

Roaring 10

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The 2018 Honorees

Each year, the Clemson Young Alumni Council recognizes 10 outstanding alumni for their impact in business, leadership, community, educational and/or philanthropic endeavors. These individuals must have graduated within the past 10 years and must exemplify the University’s core values of honesty, integrity and respect.

Roaring Ten 2018 Honorees

In October, the group announced its 2018 honorees: Claire Reddeck Bowman ’03, M ’08, associate for McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture; Tyrone Oliver Gayle ’10, press secretary for U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris; Noelle Cabato Holdsworth ’11, employer brand manager for T-Mobile; France L. Jackson ’11, M ’13, software creator and tester at Intel; Aliza Darnell McGuire ’12, prevention services coordinator at Epworth Children and Family Services; Susan Ridgeway Nunamaker ’01, Ed.S. ’09, program coordinator for Clemson’s master’s in teaching and learning; Allison Marshall Puechl ’09, gynecologic oncology fellow at Duke University Medical Center; Don Allen Sharpe Jr. M ’17, student services program coordinator at Midlands Technical College; Dan McKeithan Thomason Jr. ’13, student at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business; and John B. Wright Jr. ’10, realtor at McCoy Wright Realty.

Gayle received his award, but sadly, he passed away from cancer on Oct. 25, 2018.

For more about the Roaring 10, visit alumni.clemson.edu and click “Awards.”

Young Alumni Council celebrates the 2016 Roaring 10

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Front, l-r: Halphen, Leader, Lusk, Frazier, Newton. Rear: Adams, Crapps, Faerber, Park.
Not pictured: Eyraud Photo Credit: JacobDeanPhotography.com


The Young Alumni Council (YAC) has recognized the 2016 Roaring 10 — young alumni who have made an impact in business, leadership, community, educational and/or philanthropic endeavors.
This year’s honorees are:
KEENAN ADAMS M ’07, Ph.D. ’10, DENVER, COLORADO
Adams received both a master’s degree in forest resources and a doctorate in wildlife and fisheries biology from Clemson. Adams is the supervisory wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the National Wildlife Refuge System in Colorado. He is an active member of Alpha Psi Phi and participates in the Omega Leadership Academy Mentorship Program.
MANNING CRAPPS ’06, LEXINGTON
Crapps received a degree from Clemson in economics and went on to a successful career in banking. He works at First Community Bank, where he is the bank’s expert in solutions for business retirement plans. He was part of the group that created the Lexington Beautification Foundation, which is dedicated to beautifying the scenic and historic community. He is president of the Lexington County Clemson Club.
LILY EYRAUD ’12, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
Eyraud graduated with a degree in financial management and accounting and is pursuing a master of business administration at Duke University. She works as a financial planner at TIAA-CREF. She has been a United Way Young Leaders Council member since 2013, is the communications lead for the Charlotte Clemson Club and is a regional recruitment coordinator for Gamma Phi Beta sorority. She was recently named the Alumni Association’s Volunteer of the Year.
NELSON FAERBER III ’09, TUCSON, ARIZONA
Faerber holds a law degree from Florida State University to go with his bachelor’s degree in construction science management from Clemson. He attended Clemson on a full athletic scholarship and was named the Clemson Football 2008 Special Teams Player of the Year. Post-college he served in Afghanistan and was recognized as company grade officer of the quarter and of the year. He currently serves in the U.S. Air Force JAG Corps, providing legal assistance to a community of more than 20,000 airmen and their families.
JAMILAH FRAZIER M ’15, NORTH CHARLESTON
Frazier received her master’s degree in public administration from Clemson and works at Charleston/Dorchester Mental Health, where she coordinates accreditation and quality improvement. She also owns her own business providing workplace CPR/first aid training. She is an advisory member of the Charleston County Clemson Club and works with the Clemson Black Alumni Council.
PAUL HALPHEN ’10, GREENVILLE
Halphen received his degree in financial management and joined First Citizens Bank and Trust, where he was ranked second out of more than 200 leaders for new portfolio volume. He is currently an investment manager with Kairos Real Estate, and he volunteers for multiple community organizations. He is on Clemson’s Library Leadership Board, is a long-time mentor for the College of Business and was YAC president.
BEN LEADER ’10, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 
Leader received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Clemson and his law degree from the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. He served as a law clerk for the Honorable John C. Hayes III of 16th Judicial Circuit of South Carolina, and now works for the Elrod Pope Law Firm as an associate. He has been an at-large member of Clemson’s YAC since 2014 and serves on the board of the York County Clemson Club in Rock Hill.
BROCK LUSK ’02, M ’15, WALHALLA 
Lusk completed Clemson’s ROTC program, graduated with a degree in history and was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force. He came back to Clemson and earned his master’s degree in 2015. In between, he served multiple deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. He currently serves as the director of operations and assistant professor of aerospace studies for the Clemson Air Force ROTC. He is on the board of directors of the Clemson Corps. Seven additional names have been added to Clemson’s Scroll of Honor as a direct result of his research.
DAVID NEWTON ’08, M ’10, MOUNT PLEASANT 
Newton earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering while competing as a member of the varsity soccer team. He is currently completing his master of business administration from the Kenan- Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill as a 2017 merit fellow. He serves as a marketing and product manager for Ingevity Corporation’s North American asphalt modification business in Charleston. Newton has served on the executive board of the Carolina Youth Development Center and the Trident United Way Young Philanthropist Society steering committee.
BRIAN PARK ’10, M ’14, ATLANTA 
Park earned bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science and a master’s degree in economics. He attended law school at the University of Virginia, where he was elected president of the student body and served as an editor for the Virginia Environmental Law Journal. He is a corporate associate at King & Spalding LLP in Atlanta, where he represents both publicly traded and privately held companies in mergers and acquisitions, capital-raising transactions and general corporate governance matters. He has volunteered with several organizations including the Blue Key Honor Society and Atlanta’s Youth About Business Program.

Roaring 10 Recognized

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Clockwise from upper left: Harrison Trammell, Rick Joye, Matthew Pencek, Matthew Bundrick, Darris Means, Brian Collie, Jessica Barron Martin, Joseph Branch II, Stephanie Sox, and Scott Sampson.

Clockwise from upper left: Harrison Trammell, Rick Joye, Matthew Pencek, Matthew Bundrick, Darris Means, Brian Collie, Jessica Barron Martin, Joseph Branch II, Stephanie Sox, and Scott Sampson.

Clemson has recognized 10 young alumni for their impact in business, leadership, community, educational and philanthropic endeavors. This year’s Roaring 10 were selected for their commitment to Clemson’s core values of honesty, integrity and respect, and as well as involvement with and contributions to the University.

Brian Collie ’04, M ’06 of Mount Pleasant leads tax, estate planning and real estate practice for Buxton and Collie LLC. He is involved with the Clemson Emerging Scholars Program and served as a member of the Clemson University MBA Alumni Council.
Darris Means ’07 of Athens, Georgia, is an assistant professor at the University of Georgia in the counseling and human development services department and college student affairs administration program. He serves on Clemson’s Higher Education and Student Affairs External Education Advisory Board.
Harrison Trammell ’06 of Charleston is an associate at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice LLP. He has the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credential and is a member of South Carolina’s chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. He participated in the Clemson Alumni Council from 2012 to 2014, serving as president of Clemson Young Alumni Council in 2013.
Jessica Barron Martin ’07, M ’09 of Charleston is a vice president in Wells Fargo’s real estate group. She participates in Clemson’s Real Estate Alumni Society and is president of Clemson in the Lowcountry. She formerly served as co-chair of the Wells Fargo Lowcountry Volunteer Chapter and was president of the Greater Orlando Clemson Club.
Joseph Branch II ’05 of Alexandria, Virginia, has been deployed eight times since graduation. His outstanding performance in the U.S. Army Special Operations command led to his selection for an Army Inter-Agency Fellowship with the National Geospatial Agency. He continues to support Clemson’s ROTC program and Tiger athletics.
Matthew Bundrick ’07 of Clemson serves as Clemson Creative Services’ director of web services. In addition to playing a critical role in the development of Clemson’s websites, he has been highly involved with the Staff Senate since 2010, serving as president from 2014-2015.
Matthew Pencek ’10 of Washington, D.C., works for MorganFranklin Consulting and has been recognized as a “Top Consultant Under 35” by trade associations. He is a College of Business and Behavioral Science Tiger Ties mentor and is involved with the Baltimore/D.C. Clemson Club.
Rick Joye ’97, M ’06 of Greenville is an executive at Michelin North America and a supply chain manager for 10 Michelin manufacturing plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. He also founded Sustaining Way, a nonprofit that brings together diverse individuals and organizations to find affordable ways to care for people while caring for the environment.
Scott Sampson ’08, M ’10 of Clemson currently serves as Young Alumni annual giving officer. Young alumni giving has increased each year Sampson has held the position. He also is involved in Clemson’s chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and continues to give campus tours as an ambassador.
Stephanie Sox ’07 of Columbia is executive director of the S.C. Soybean Board, representing the state’s 1,800 soybean farmers. She also serves as the Certified S.C. Grown Palmetto Series project manager and was selected as a 2014 National Top Ten Finalist for the American Farm Bureau Excellence in Agriculture Award. She is a College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences alumni board member.