Asia Lebby signed up to facilitate a group of volunteers as part of Clemson University’s annual Fall In Day of Service on Saturday, Oct. 4. Little did she know at the time her assignment would carry with it a close family connection — making Saturday extra meaningful for the sophomore early childhood education major.
Lebby was among more than 125 students, faculty and staff who came together to give back to the tri-county area by performing volunteer work at a variety of non-profits, churches and community centers. After a short welcome from coordinating staff in the Center for Student Leadership and Engagement, Lebby’s group headed to Blue Ridge Community Center in Seneca. The site was formerly Blue Ridge High School, Seneca’s all-Black high school up until 1969. Lebby’s grandfather, James Colman, served as the school’s principal before it closed with integration — later becoming a junior high and elementary school.
“This community gives so much to us, so it’s important to give back,” Lebby says. “There are so many members of the local community who come to work at Clemson. Being a Clemson student, we try and exemplify excellence and the other University values by putting back into the area around us.”
In recent years, Blue Ridge Community Center experienced a revitalization thanks in large part to the efforts of its board of directors — a group of community members which includes Helen Rosemond-Saunders, who was on site Saturday to welcome Clemson’s volunteers and provide a brief history of the center. She says the group’s mission has been for Blue Ridge to be a welcoming place for all. Today, it proudly hosts events for the community, including a recent “Taste of BRCC” where homemade food samples were enjoyed by nearby residents.
Lebby wasn’t the only volunteer Saturday with a connection to the former Blue Ridge High School. Kimberly Poole, associate vice president and dean of students, grew up just two minutes down the road and attended junior high at the same location. Her mother graduated from the high school in 1962 but was unable to attend college. Poole was a first-generation student and went on to earn three degrees from Clemson. She keeps a pair of rings close as reminders of her humble beginnings — her mother’s high school ring and her Clemson ring.
“I never really thought of it (Blue Ridge) as the former high school when I was a junior high student,” she says. “The spot we’re working in today (courtyard) used to have portable classrooms, and I remember vividly going back and forth through this area with my friends.”
Poole — whose mother lives a few minutes away — says working alongside students and others provided her with a sense of pride in the University’s contributions to her home area. The group spread mulch throughout the center’s interior courtyard, community garden and fence adjacent to a refurbished outdoor basketball court.
“Making a positive difference is important,” she says. “Students, faculty and staff can come out and give back to something that’s an integral part of this community — in particular, this building is where a group of people came together to revive it to help serve Seneca and the local area. Blue Ridge needed support, and by partnering with the University, they’ve been able to continue providing opportunities to support individuals of all ages. As a University, it’s not just the borders of campus — it’s about giving back broadly.”
University Facilities came out prior to the event and delivered a healthy load of mulch and provided equipment for the service project, including pitchforks, shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows. Lebby’s group continued the beautification work set in motion years ago through the partnership with Blue Ridge as part of the Cemetery Hill Project.
The Cemetery Hill Project is led by Rhondda Thomas, Calhoun Lemon Professor of Literature in the College of Arts and Humanities. The project aims to explore the full history of Clemson University’s Woodland Cemetery, documenting marked and unmarked graves in the cemetery’s burial ground.
Marjorie Campbell, project manager for the Cemetery Hill Project, was at Blue Ridge on Saturday. Thomas spent her time working with volunteers at Abel Baptist Church in Clemson, another partner in the project.
Volunteers who signed up for community service at Abel Baptist cleaned up around the historic church’s cemetery, including gravesite restoration. The service was performed in conjunction with Pickens County Make a Difference Day 2025.
“Seeing our residents and students turn out in full force to clean up the cemetery at Abel Baptist Church is a powerful testament to our community’s heart,” says Clemson Mayor Robert Halfacre, who volunteered alongside students and staff on Saturday. “This type of service truly makes a difference in the beauty and well-being of Clemson. My ultimate hope is that every participant left with a deeper connection to the history and needs of the place they served, ensuring it is honored for generations to come.”
