Meet Tavaghn Monts ’20, graduate of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management and executive director of Momentum Bike Clubs
Recruited by former head football coach Tommy Bowden, Tavaghn Monts’ Clemson Journey started with a football scholarship in 2001, nearly 25 years ago. Raised on a farm in Fort White, Florida, Monts said Clemson University felt familiar – like home – but was far enough away from Fort White to feel unique.
As a student, he appreciated the sense of belonging he experienced on campus. He felt connected to his peers and teammates and valued the opportunity to explore new passions and broaden his perspectives of the world – but he did not graduate. After leaving Clemson, an opportunity to play professional football as an unsigned free agent with the Cleveland Browns presented itself – and he took it.
Soon after, his father, a first-generation farmer, was diagnosed with cancer and Monts returned home to care for him and run the family farm.
Though he had not completed his degree, Monts had an unmatched work ethic and determination to achieve his goals – and when his father went into remission, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to work in the hospitality industry.
“Over the course of my life, my plans and goals changed – some by choice, some by force – and I had to decide how to move forward,” said Monts. “My success did not come from avoiding obstacles, but from learning how to move through them.”
He recalled walking five miles in the South Georgia heat to interview for a management position at Waffle House because he did not have a car. He was determined to succeed, and that determination led to seven years of successful employment as unit manager and district manager for the restaurant chain.
“Working in a managerial role at Waffle House opened my eyes to the struggles many of my coworkers and employees faced outside of work. Witnessing their resilience despite difficult circumstances inspired me to think about how support and guidance could make a difference earlier in life. That experience made me start to consider alternate career paths that involved nonprofit work with youth populations,” said Monts.
After Waffle House, he moved to the Mariott Marquis, the largest convention hotel in the state of Georgia at the time, where he served as manager of its two on-site restaurants. While working there, the hotel hosted Clemson Football during their trip to play Georgia Tech, giving him the chance to reconnect with former coaches and friends.
As a student, years prior, Monts said he embraced the motto, “once a Tiger, always a Tiger,” but it was not until that weekend, reuniting with mentors and coaches from the University, that he realized it to be true. He had unfinished business at Clemson, and it was time to go back.
In the fall of 2019, Monts enrolled as a student in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM) to complete his bachelor’s degree. He graduated in August 2020.
“It was truly a full circle moment to start and end my undergraduate academic journey at Clemson,” said Monts. “My path was nontraditional, but I am deeply grateful for the life experiences and PRTM coursework that led to the realization that I could turn my passion for mentorship and youth development into a fulfilling career.”
Monts currently serves as executive director of Momentum Bike Clubs (MBC), a comprehensive youth development program that promotes health and well-being and provides mentorship to youth across Upstate South Carolina.
Now in its fifteenth year, MBC has 23 clubs in 13 schools and communities, serving over 800 students with 200 trained mentors. MBC supports youth from middle school to college enrollment through relationship building, internship placement, youth seminars and workforce development training.
In 2022, MBC founder David Taylor, passed leadership down to Monts, associate director at the time. As executive director, Monts reviewed data, administered surveys, developed operations manuals for mentors and created a strategic plan for the organization. In the years since, the Club has established an even stronger network and ecosystem of people who care for and encourage local youth.
“MBC uses cycling as positive reinforcement and encourages students to build lifelong connections and focus on healthy habits to benefit them through their lives,” said Monts. “I remind them that sometimes we face obstacles in life that make us change course, and that is okay. Our paths may look different, but we persevere. My life is evidence that hard work and the refusal to give up pay off tenfold.”
Monts is a nationally awarded and recognized facilitator and keynote speaker in youth development and an avid road and gravel cyclist. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in youth development leadership in the PRTM department to become a two-time Clemson graduate – reaffirming his motto, “once a Tiger, always a Tiger.”
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management is a part of the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. Established in July 2016, CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in nine disciplines – communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; sociology, anthropology and criminal justice – to further its mission of “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.
