The fourth component of the Be a T.I.G.E.R! character education initiative is T.I.G.E.R! Talk. T.I.G.E.R! Talk is a mentoring programing for middle school students around the community. When the program was started, Clemson’s Eugene T. Moore School of Education and the Solid Orange Squad partnered to research and compose discussion topics to be used by the student-athletes and students in the program.
Through the Digital Express System, student-athletes e-mail their mentee each week to discuss the character traits of Be a T.I.G.E.R! This gives the student-athletes an opportunity to talk to the students about the importance of having character in all areas of their lives. As the students complete each level of discussion, they receive a prize. At the conclusion of the programming, the student-athletes have the opportunity to visit their mentee at school.
This year’s program director is Emily Howard (diving). Howard is a sophomore psychology major from Newtown, PA. This is her first year leading the program and she is excited to begin.
“This program is extremely rewarding. However, my favorite part of the program is how important this opportunity is for the kids in the community,” noted Howard. “It is amazing how much these kids look up to us. This community has given so much towards our success as student-athletes, so it is wonderful that we can aid to the success of younger students.”
Early in October, Howard visited Tanglewood Middle School to kick off the program. Along with Tanglewood, the program is also partnering with Greenville Middle School, Lakeside Middle School and Northwest Middle School. Many student-athletes from almost every sport at Clemson are participating in the program this year.
December 6, 2024
