About the Program
Since 2002, the Emerging Scholars Program has made higher education a reality for students who have not seen college in their future.
How Emerging Scholars Works
The mission of the Emerging Scholars Program at Clemson University is to establish a college-going culture among students in families from the state’s economically disadvantaged areas through academic enrichment, developing leadership skills and increasing college preparedness.
Summer Experience
- Phase 1: Rising high school sophomores meet and engage with CPO staff. The time together will include team-building activities, academic evaluations, college readiness information, and collaborative learning. Students will be exposed to content such as college planning, networking opportunities, and college tours.
- Phase 2: Students engage with CPO staff on Clemson University’s campus for the summer residential experience. Their time on campus will consist of getting grounded in their participatory action research project and learning the foundation of qualitative and quantitative research. Students will take classes focused on algebra, public speaking, and college planning and will connect with campus partners to learn about potential majors and minors.
- Phase 3: Students return to Clemson for the summer residential experience prior to their senior high school year. A simulation of a typical first-year student schedule is introduced; students will complete and present their participatory action research project, take higher-level algebra and research method classes, and complete their college planning courses. Seniors will also have the opportunity to visit two colleges and tour their campuses to have a better understanding of the higher education experience.
Academic Year Experience
Students who participate in the Emerging Scholars program commit to academic-year work and activities. College access workshops are held throughout the year virtually and in person. Additionally, during the school year, CPO staff will visit students at their schools and host social activities in the area. Students also will participate in a virtual educational session led by Clemson faculty and staff.
The students are also given the opportunity to visit different college campuses throughout their junior and senior years. By the end of their three-year program, students will have the opportunity to visit various universities such as:
Staff Experience
Emerging Scholars is an educational, fun, work-intensive experience that will prove both very rewarding and very demanding. Every year we hire Program Advisers, who are upperclass undergraduate students, graduate students or post-graduates to mentor our Emerging Scholars students. Our advisers impact the lives of the participating students and are held to standards that reflect this responsibility. It is our hope that through the Program Adviser position, students will consciously gain leadership and mentoring skills that will help them develop as leaders and expand their views of what it means to give back and help others find their way to college. Contact our office if you are interested in applying.
Our History
Captain Byron Wiley, founder of Emerging Scholars, had a long, distinguished career in the Navy and worked all over the country in the higher education system helping students and staff of color get equitable treatment. After coming to South Carolina, he quickly noticed the inequities in the South Carolina education system, so he took it upon himself to create Emerging Scholars.
With the support of Clemson President James Barker, Captain Wiley used office funds to bring the first group of students to Clemson during the summer of 2002. He provided these students with motivation and access to the resources their communities were lacking. Two decades later, the program is still going strong and helped more than 600 students reach their goal of college attendance. Even though Captain Wiley is no longer with us today, his legacy lives on through each student that Emerging Scholars has impacted.
To remember and celebrate the life of Captain Byron A. Wiley, the South Carolina House of Representatives honored him on Wednesday, May 28, 2014, for his strong commitment to education. The South Carolina House of Representatives expressed their gratitude for his many years of outstanding service with the Clemson University Emerging Scholars Program.
