Clemson's Lauren Klas speaks at the IPTAY National convention. Photo by Rex Brown. (CLICK IMAGE FOR GALLERY)
Thanks to IPTAY, Klas learned how special Clemson really is
By Will Vandervort
CLEMSON — Growing up in Simpsonville, SC, Lauren Klas knew about Clemson, or at least she thought she did.
The Mauldin High School product knew Clemson was in the ACC, was a very competitive school to get in to and she knew it wasn’t nearly the size of her parents’ alma mater, NC State.
But then Klas, one of the top high school long distance runners in the state, started to get recruited by Clemson and was even visited by members of the coaching staff. As she went on her official visits to Clemson and several other schools during the process, Klas started to see there was something different about Clemson.
“I liked Clemson better than South Carolina obviously, but I wasn’t sure about where I wanted to go,” she said. “I was given a lot of opportunities to go to other schools out of state, but as soon as I came here on a visit, I was really touched by something special.
“It just hit me right away and I knew as soon as I stepped foot on campus that this is where I want to be.”
Klas has now been at Clemson four years and will graduate this May with a degree in Marketing and Finance. Klas, along with fellow track and field teammate Alex Padgett, shared her story and gave thanks to nearly 1,000 Clemson people at the National IPTAY Representative Meeting last Thursday at the Metropolitan Convention Center in Columbia.
A three-time member of the ACC’s All-Academic Team, Klas first learned about how close the Clemson Family was when she started the recruiting process.
“The (Clemson) coaches already felt like they were more than just coaches, they were my family. They were like my second parents,” she recalled. “That’s when I realized Clemson isn’t just like other places. It’s more about the Clemson Family than about the school or sports. Clemson wants you to succeed in athletics as well as in academics.”
Padgett drove Klas’ point home when he spoke about Vickery Hall. Spoiled by the convenience of Vickery Hall — Clemson’s learning and tutoring facility — Padgett was shocked when learning from other athletes across the country that they don’t have a place like Vickery Hall.
“Not many places have a Vickery Hall,” he said. “I hear guys all the time complaining about not having any tutors or anyway to get a tutor. That’s when I realized how good we have it at Clemson. We can go in and there is always someone there to help us.”
Both Klas and Padgett, along with Clemson Head Football Coach Dabo Swinney, Rowing Head Coach Richard Ruggieri and Athletic Director Dr. Terry Don Phillips, thanked the people at IPTAY, those who go out and represent Clemson and share its love and passion for the university, for helping student-athletes’ dreams of becoming college graduates come true.
“Without IPTAY, I will not be able to do what I’m doing,” Klas said. “I was given a scholarship my freshman year and was given a great opportunity and it has turned into something that is completely different and completely different than I ever thought it would be.
“IPTAY has taught me and led me to be the type of person I am today.”
And in just four short years, Klas knows all about Clemson now, and she is proud to know that she is a part of the Clemson Family.
“Clemson has taught me the importance of leadership and learning to trust each other, while building a family,” she said. “I know the importance of relationships now and I know when I go into the work force, I will carry that with me.
“I understand that it is more than just being the best at something. It’s about creating relationships and being part of a family and doing something together.”
