Dylan Riker, Graduate from the ClemsonLIFE Program
Dylan Riker is a recent ClemsonLIFE program graduate, and is now back home and employed, thanks to the ClemsonLIFE program. The ClemsonLIFE program taught Dylan the skills to live a happy, healthy lifestyle, as well as feel empowered by his community. Dylan says that he found out about the ClemsonLIFE program because his mom wanted him to attend college at the College of Charleston, but he insisted that he go to Clemson University instead because his older brother, Derek Riker, attended Clemson. Once he was accepted into the ClemsonLIFE program, he became more closely involved in filming throughout his time there. During Dylan’s time at Clemson he had the opportunity to work at Clemson Broadcast Production, which allowed him to follow his passion for filming. Dylan says that he has filmed pieces for the Clemson football stadium, as well as commercials and documentaries. Throughout his time at Clemson, Dylan formed many close relationships with students and his fellow classmates, and he found that through these relationships his people skills excelled. A typical day for Dylan, he says, would be to “…wake up, get ready for class, and then try to have a nice conversation with my roommates.” This routine was a great way for Dylan to form great relationships with his peers, as wells as his roommates. Another great aspect about the ClemsonLIFE program are the professors, and Dylan says they are nice and gave him a great education. Dylan talked about how his favorite classes were reading and writing, and how they helped him improve his skills in those areas a lot. Math was another subject that Dylan loved to learn as well, as it also helped him improve his skills. Dylan says his most challenging, but most interesting class was his filming class that he was allowed to take on Clemson’s campus. Attending Clemson’s football games was one of Dylan’s favorite ways to be involved on campus, and he even reminisced on when he met the team, with a smile on his face of course. Going to the gym was another way that Dylan was involved on campus, and staying active goes along with the ClemsonLIFE program’s lessons for living a healthy lifestyle. Most importantly, the ClemsonLIFE program helped Dylan to trust people, read and write, film videos, and stay healthy. Dylan says his favorite part about being a Clemson student was, “…getting involved with like people, interacting with them, and I can see how they like, progress.” The ClemsonLIFE program has helped Dylan to confidently navigate his way into the world after college with the education and skills that he has learned, and he continues to have a smile on his face as he is now employed at Trader Joe's and is still continuing to make friends and help people. [1]
[1]Swift, Taylor, and Dylan Riker. “Interview with Dylan Riker.” 11 Nov. 2019.