25-12-Annual Report 2025_FINAL no bleed pages-1 - Flipbook - Page 35
The power of giving
The ClemsonLIFE program received a significant gift this
year from The Schoen Foundation. Sharon Schoen and
the late WIlliam “Bill” Schoen established the foundation,
which is now led by their daughter, Karen Schoen Sutton,
and their family. Although a graduate of the University
of Florida, Karen became part of the Clemson Family
through her marriage to Jack “Jay” Sutton Jr., BSME ’84
who was recently appointed to the IPTAY board. Today,
the Schoen Foundation continues its multi-generational
legacy of making a meaningful impact by supporting
education and initiatives that honor and assist veterans.
The $2.25 million commitment includes a $2 million
endowment to establish the Schoen Foundation
Endowment for ClemsonLIFE and a $250,000 gift to
create the Schoen Foundation ClemsonLIFE Annual Fund.
This investment will provide sustainable resources to
ensure that ClemsonLIFE continues to offer transformative
educational and
career development
opportunities.
“I am grateful for the
incredible generosity
of Jay and Karen
Sutton, whose gift
through the Schoen
Foundation is a
testament to the
power of education and the impact that philanthropy
can have on the lives of our students,” said University
President Jim Clements. “Through establishing the
Schoen Foundation Endowment and Annual Fund for
ClemsonLIFE, the Schoen Foundation is creating a legacy
of support that will continue to positively impact the lives
of our Tigers and their families for many years to come.”
Given the chance to
meet the challenge
When Logan Hunter
sought out higher
education and a career
in teaching, he wanted a
challenge. As an Upstate
native, he was familiar
with Clemson. Maybe
too familiar. He wasn’t
sure Clemson would
push him to be the best
teacher he could be.
Now a junior majoring in elementary education and a
student in the Call Me MiSTER program, Hunter is thrilled
to have been proven wrong. The rigorous curriculum is
in place, and he is surrounded by MiSTER classmates,
program coordinators and leaders who push him.
“I’ll be in my own classroom one day, and I’ll have 20
to 30 sets of eyes on me. They’ll be there to learn, and
they need to learn from the best Logan Hunter they can
get,” Hunter said. “Every person I’ve encountered in the
College of Education and in placements out in the field
has increased my confidence and helped me be the best
educator I can be.”
Hunter would not be on the path to an education degree
or even pursuing higher education without inspiring
teachers along the way. He credits Ashley Reeves, his
eighth-grade English teacher, for fostering a love of
reading and language arts. Her warm smile meant he was
welcome in the class, and he hopes to emulate that in his
own classroom soon.
Hunter is making the most of his time at Clemson, and
he plans to stay in Clemson for teacher residency after
graduation. A scholarship from the Eugene Moore
Endowed Fund made all these opportunities more
attainable, and it isn’t lost on Hunter that the generosity of
others has allowed him to experience so much and feel so
prepared for a future career.
“I would not be able to do anything without inspiring
teachers and the help and support of donors and
programs like Tiger Alliance, Gateway 2 Clemson and Call
Me MISTER,” Hunter said. “Words cannot express how
grateful I am for this support. They helped me, a firstgeneration college student, pull the future of my family
out of hardship. I plan to use my degree to educate my
family members and impact future students’ lives in the
public school system.”
34
