Meet the Clemson University National Scholars
National Scholars are an academically and geographically diverse group. They have majored in disciplines from all of Clemson's academic colleges. And they have come from as close as Greenville, S.C., and as far away as Tirana, Albania.
Just as they were selected in part for their commitment to leadership and service, Scholars continue to be involved in extracurricular activities at Clemson. In fact, most hold leadership positions in campus organizations.
National Scholars also work closely with Clemson professors through the Creative Inquiry program and in conducting other research.
Meet our Scholar cohorts (organized by the year they were admitted to Clemson University) below:
2024 National Scholars
Sofia Fassolakis
Hometown: Mt. Airy, MD
Major: Physics
Adam Gibson
Hometown: Arlington, VA
Major: Data Science
Julia Holzbach
Hometown: Lansdowne, VA
Majors: Computer Science
Fred Lucca
Hometown: Santo Ângelo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Major: Business
Visit Fred's LinkedIn page
Sarah Pacer
Hometown: Macedonia, OH
Major: Nursing
Elizabeth Perkins
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Major: Language and International Business
Meridee Ritzer
Hometown: Rock Hill, SC
Major: Chemistry
Colton TenEyck
Hometown: Atascadero, CA
Major: Civil Engineering
Ella Thompson
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Major: Undeclared
2023 National Scholars
Gretchen Highberger
Hometown: Bettendorf, IA
Major: Environmental Engineering
Minor: Environmental Science and Policy
Visit Gretchen's LinkedIn page
Carley Hitzelberger
Hometown: Greenville, SC
Major: Language and International Health
Minor: Women's Leadership
Visit Carley's LinkedIn page
Shayar Joshi
Hometown: Greenville, SC
Major: Packaging Science
Minor: Brand Communications
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Summer Marold
Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC
Majors: Language and International Business
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Briggs Murray
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Majors: Political Science and French
Minor: Race, Ethnicity and Migration
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Tulsi Patel
Hometown: Simpsonville, SC
Major: Philosophy
Concentration: Medicine, Health and Human Values
Minor: Public Policy
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Claudia Portocarrero
Hometown: Miami, FL
Major: Language and International Health
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2022 National Scholars
Sara Alkelani
Hometown: Greenville, SC
Major: Political Science and Sociology
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Caleb Cayouette
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Major: Economics
Minor: Creative Writing - Poetry
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Owen Michael Eastman
Hometown: Ridgeside, TN
Majors: History and Economics
Minor: English
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Malia Fairbanks
Hometown: Champaign, IL
Major: Computer Information Systems
Minors: Cybersecurity and Spanish
Visit Malia's LinkedIn page
Eliza Haines
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Major: Bioengineering
Minors: American Sign Language Studies
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Rebecca Han
Hometown: Bluffton, SC
Major: Financial Management
Minor: Computer Science
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Daisy Ryan Hutnik
Hometown: Hopewell NJ
Majors: Economics and Political Science
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Elijah Austin Wilbanks
Hometown: Shelby, NC
Major: Industrial Engineering
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2021 National Scholars
Elizabeth Caldwell
Hometown: Hendersonville, TN
Major: Genetics
Minor: Biochemistry
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Amandine Courbon
Hometown: Greenville, SC
Major: Management
Minors: Food Science and Sustainability
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Matthew Ployhart
Hometown: Chapin, SC
Major: History
Minor: Russian Area Studies, Political and Legal Theory
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Elsa Saine
Hometown: Columbia, SC
Major: Chemical Engineering
Minor: Mathematical Sciences
Visit Elsa's LinkedIn page
