Student Affairs presented its annual student awards on Wednesday, May 1 during a divisionwide celebration. The 2023-24 year-end celebration also included the official kickoff of the new Student Affairs strategic plan and remarks from both President Jim Clements and Vice President and Dean of Students Chris Miller.
The Almeda R. Jacks Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award is presented in honor of Clemson’s former vice president for Student Affairs. It is given to the best “all around” junior or senior with a minimum GPA of 3.0 who upholds Clemson’s core values, maintains high scholarly achievement and demonstrates a cross section of involvement.
Co-recipients of the 2024 Almeda R. Jacks Award are Jackson Grant and John Shoemaker.
Grant is a work-study student through the Department of Veterans Affairs in the Office of Military & Veteran Engagement. He is also a U.S. Navy veteran, current Army reservist and battalion executive officer in the Army ROTC program. Among many responsibilities, he leads Green Zone Training to educate faculty and staff on Clemson’s military student population.
Shoemaker is a Thomas F. Chapman Leadership Scholar who served as president of the Interfraternity Council in 2023. He has been recognized for his leadership by earning the Undergraduate Award of Distinction and multiple IFC awards from the North American Interfraternity Conference. Shoemaker is also an active member of Blue Key Honor Society and the University Tour Guide Association.
Two students received the Frank A. Burtner Scholarship. The scholarship is presented to rising juniors and seniors who display exemplary leadership qualities and outstanding academic records. The 2024 Burtner scholarship recipients are Kellan Fenegan and Gino Vitelli.
Fenegan is a senior political science and communication double major and was recently named president of Clemson Undergraduate Student Government. She is a Dixon Global Policy Scholar and serves as the director of Tigerama as well. Vitelli is a junior computer engineering major and is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity and Tiger Band.
