Clemson University Youth Development Leadership

A few of the YDL faculty—Drs. Outley, Garst, and Melton—at the Clemson commencement ceremony to celebrate student success.

We are excited to recognize our YDL graduates, many of whom are walking in commencement today.

Congratulations to the 2026 YDL Student Award Recipients!

The Graduate Student Awards of Excellence recognized outstanding students for their academic achievements, community service, and perseverance. This year’s recipients were (from left) Margaret Middleton, Rachel Gonsalves, Tavaghn Monts, and Emily Goodyear.

The Dean Lawrence R. Allen Professional Contributions to the Field of Youth Development Leadership Award was presented to Tavaghn Monts for his exceptional service in promoting the field of Youth Development.

The M.S. Youth Development Leadership Award, voted on by peers, honored Rachel Gonsalves for her positive influence and communication within the YDL cohort.
Well done to all the award winners! Your hard work and dedication were truly inspiring!

We recently welcomed our YDL Second Year Cohort back to campus for their culminating visit—and it was another inspiring couple of days!

Students shared presentations highlighting their applied evaluation projects, demonstrating the real-world impact of their work in youth-serving organizations and communities across the country.
The visit also included sessions focused on developing ePortfolios to showcase students’ learning, skills, and growth throughout the program. One of the highlights each year is hearing from YDL alumni about ePortfolio development—this year, Courtney Foster brought it to life with examples and strategies for telling a compelling story of growth and impact.

A central component of the visit was the YDL Awards Banquet, where we had the opportunity to recognize outstanding student accomplishments and hear from YDL alum Sharice Johnson. Her reflections on leadership, persistence, advancing excellence, and navigating the field offered both inspiration and practical insight as students prepare for what’s next.

We’re proud of all this group has accomplished and excited to see them finish strong this summer as they move toward graduation later this year.

It begins…..!