CHRISTIAN BARRIENTOS M ’19, PH.D. ’24
College of Education alumnus guides current and prospective students on what’s next
If Christian Barrientos earned money every time he said, “I can help,” he’d already be a millionaire. He’s been saying it one way or another his entire life before holding multiple titles at Clemson University that scream “professional helper.” Barrientos serves as the associate director in the Office of College Preparation and Outreach, which includes acting as the program director for the Snelsire, Sawyer & Robinson Clemson Career Workshop and program director for Tiger Alliance.
Barrientos is involved in multiple campus outreach activities — often simultaneously — but is energized by it all because he does this work in the service of others. He helps and always has on progressively larger scales as his career has progressed. Barrientos earned his Ph.D. in educational leadership from Clemson’s College of Education in August 2024, and he serves as an example to prospective and current college students who might not think higher education is for them.
“Students who come through our programs are looking for help and guidance on how to be successful,” Barrientos says. “I help expose a prospective or current college student to experiential learning opportunities that will help them grow and prepare them for college or life after college, whether that is grad school or the military or the workforce. If I’m not the right person, I can help them get to the person they need to make an informed decision.”
Through the Clemson Career Workshop, Barrientos works with rising juniors and seniors interested in coming to Clemson and exposes them to college life’s benefits and realities. Through Tiger Alliance, he helps to bridge opportunity gaps and create a college-going culture for high school students in Upstate South Carolina.
Barrientos’ dedication to aiding others on their academic journey started early in life, but he really came into his own as a mentor for younger students when he attended Furman University as a first-generation undergraduate student. He worked as a summer camp counselor, imparting many of the same lessons he learned as a youth.
Barrientos pursued his master’s degree in student affairs from Clemson due to faculty reputation; he stuck around for a Ph.D. in educational leadership because of the relationships he had built with the faculty members who more than lived up to that reputation. Barrientos started his Ph.D. during the COVID-19 pandemic, so he needed to know that academic rigor, personal attention and faculty expertise would be available to him in the program.
“He is a wonderful advocate, champion, leader and — most importantly — listener.”
Michelle Boettcher
Michelle Boettcher, associate professor of student affairs, served as Barrientos’ advisor during his master’s degree before chairing his dissertation committee. She has seen Barrientos come into his own as a leader, speaker and innovator who centers students in all he does.
“He hears what people say and pays attention to what is unsaid,” Boettcher says. “I’m just really glad he does what he does in higher education because he’s a great role model in how he goes about making positive change and celebrating success.”
Barrientos postponed his graduation to August of last year so that his newborn daughter, Eliana, could attend his doctoral celebration. As a new parent, Barrientos is now discovering where work and home life intersect with a lack of sleep, but he’s also giddy when he talks about his two “babies,” the close of one adventure and the start of another.
“I finished my dissertation defense on May 15, and we had baby Eliana on May 28, so I had to put down one ‘baby’ before I picked up the other, so I’m glad not to split my focus now,” Barrientos says. “Between work, school and a baby, I’m glad I don’t have to find out if I could handle all three at once.”
