A global legacy of service

A lover of language and culture, Miah Bernard came to Clemson for the Language and International Health (LIH) program. Once here, her Clemson Experience was marked by service.

Bernard’s areas of service spanned across the University and the world. She led the LIH society, was president of the Clemson Shag Dance Club, served as a College of Arts and Humanities (CAH) Student Ambassador and cared for patients at a hospital in South America.

The heart behind all of it? Bringing people together.

As president of the LIH society, Bernard actively pursued opportunities to facilitate community and noted that one of her goals was to “bridge the gap between different years.” Under Bernard’s leadership, upperclassmen in LIH society became a “point of contact, a friend, or a person to reach out to” for underclassmen in the major.

Bernard originally joined the Shag Dance club because she wanted to learn the South Carolina state dance, but she quickly took on leadership roles to “grow the club and connect it to other clubs at Clemson”. She ran the social media and organized events and fundraisers.

Being a CAH Ambassador was a particularly personal service opportunity for Bernard as it was a CAH Ambassador’s note that assured her Clemson was where she needed to be.

Each year, CAH Ambassadors write postcards to all students who have been accepted into the college. “That is so important to me because I remember when I got my letter from an LIH ambassador,” Bernard said. “I hope my two sentences will help someone else get really excited about being here.” As an ambassador, Bernard also served on multiple student panels, answering prospective student questions and equipping them to feel confident in coming to Clemson.

During her junior year, Bernard had the opportunity to study abroad in Ecuador. For the first half of her semester, she studied intensive Spanish, international development and public health in Quito, Ecuador. In the second half, she completed an internship in the nutrition department of Hospital San Luis de Otavalo in Otavalo, Ecuador.

In the hospital, Bernard visited with patients each morning and created materials to disseminate health information.

 “I love seeing people form community through health,” she said. “I think it’s important to provide ways for everyone to find equitable access and opportunity, especially when I have information and knowledge. I feel like it’s my duty to share it with people that don’t.”

Though she enjoyed her studies and extracurriculars, they have meant more to Bernard than just learning information and being social.

“For me, it was always deeper than knowing the language,” she said. “It was knowing the traditions and beliefs and attitudes that people approach things from in everyday life. The humanities are so good at teaching you to dig deeper. I feel like a lot of other programs don’t get into that part.” She noted how she uses her Spanish skills daily, both the language itself and the program’s emphasis on cultural competency. “We talk a lot about treating people as a person,” she said. “You always learn something about someone when you take the chance to ask them something.”