“Utter and complete shock.” This was Emma Martin’s reaction upon hearing her name read out as the winner of the 2025 Miss Clemson pageant. “You don’t really believe dreams come true, until they do,” she says, “especially when you’ve been thinking about something since you were ten years old.”
Martin, a junior marketing and brand communications major, grew up just down the road in Easley, South Carolina. Though she was raised a University of South Carolina fan, these prior loyalties could not surpass the feeling of stepping on Clemson’s campus for the first time. After enjoying a tour from a soon-to-be Alpha Delta Pi (ADPi) sister, Martin felt completely at home — from there, the decision was a simple one.
When she began her freshman year, Martin “didn’t really have a resume at all.” Since then, she has built quite an impressive one through her many professional and academic involvements. She is a member of ADPi, a Marketing and Fan Experience Department intern for Clemson Athletics, and a leasing agent for the Bixby college apartment complex downtown. She is also a member of the Sales Innovation Program and Cadency (Clemson’s student-led brand agency), Women in Business and the Clemson Marketing Association.
“Going from not having any experience to now being involved in everything all at once truly embodies the Clemson experience and symbolizes the Clemson dream. I feel like you can be everything you’ve wanted to be, all because of this place and the people that believe in you,” she says.
Pageants have been an important part of Martin’s life from a young age; she has competed in many over the years. The Miss Clemson University Scholarship Pageant is an annual competition where young women representing a multitude of campus organizations perform and compete through a variety of rounds, including an opening number, talent, evening gown and onstage questions. The winner is crowned Miss Clemson and receives a substantial scholarship.
Martin was nominated to represent her sorority, ADPi, and she proved to be the right choice. She attended rehearsals throughout December and January, all leading up to the highly anticipated first night of February, where she set herself apart from the rest. For her talent, Martin chose to sing “Defying Gravity” from the Broadway musical Wicked. She chose a pink dress to embody the bright, bubbly spirit of Glinda, a character she connects with deeply. More importantly, she told a story through the song — a story of being who you truly are, rather than the person you’re told to be.
Receiving the crown from last year’s winner, Ella Kate Brannon, was very special to Martin, who has known Brannon since high school, where together they competed for Miss South Carolina Teen. Now they are ADPi sisters, and Martin praises Brannon for what she brought to the role.
“She is everything Miss Clemson stands for, and I feel so honored to have her pass that down to me; it’s really a full circle moment. We shine our light in different ways, yet we have some traditions that we can hold onto together while we build our sisterhood as Miss Clemson University.”
The next year of Martin’s life will be a whirlwind. She looks forward to “being a servant” in her community across a spectrum of different areas. On a personal level, she hopes to be a resource each student feels comfortable around — a friend and confidante. She will also participate in a variety of major Clemson and community events: she will headline next year’s First Friday parade, kick off athletic events with first serves and first pitches, and visit local classrooms to read with children. On a grand scale, meanwhile, she will be the first Miss Clemson University to ever compete in the Miss South Carolina pageant. In the process of doing so, she has been given the opportunity to promote a social impact initiative. Martin has chosen to advocate for heart health awareness, founding the platform “Beat by Beat: Empowering Hearts for A Healthier Future” in honor of the two grandfathers she lost to heart diseases.
When asked what she hopes to take away from her experience as Miss Clemson, Martin mentions a few specific things — friendship, public speaking skills, community — before identifying her main goals as she steps into the role.
“I want to make this University proud and uphold all the traditions that Miss Clemson stands for. She’s grace, she’s beauty, but she’s also intelligent and able to make a difference.”