Kirkley Fallaw was around the age of 10 when she was first introduced to the world of packaging science.
Her older cousin’s friend was a packaging science major at the time and she shared stories about her studies with a then elementary-aged Fallaw. It was a vision that stuck in the back of Fallaw’s mind, reappearing later when she was in high school.
Fallaw was a lover of science and math. And art and design were both something she enjoyed.
“Packaging science was the perfect blend,” said Fallaw, now a Clemson University junior packaging science major from Six Mile. “It’s perfect for me. I like the program because it’s a large mix of all the STEM disciplines. We do biology, chemistry, physics, statistics and calculus. Those are all the classes that I’m passionate about. Almost all of the classes have a lab component to them, so it makes it very hands-on. You can visualize and experiment with what you’re learning in the class. They do a great job exposing us to a lot of different things through the labs.
“I absolutely love packaging science. It’s a lot more than what one might think. It’s not just boxes. We learn a lot about food chemistry and perishable things, medical devices, plastics, distribution, art and graphic design. It’s a good mix.”
Learning by doing
One of Fallaw’s favorite things about her degree program to date has been the required six-month co-op. She recently completed her hours at nearby Arthrex, a global medical device company in nearby Pendleton. During her co-op, Fallaw did validations on machinery and new packaging entering the plant.
Those validations included such package testing as burst testing, tensile testing, dye penetration testing and visual testing.
“It’s a very detail-oriented job, but I think I am very detail-oriented so it works out well,” Fallaw said. “Something I wasn’t expecting was documentation. We had to take an exam on good documentation practices which is helpful because we used that every single day. I had to work with every department in the facility at some point. I think that’s enhanced my confidence and communication skills.”
Most important, learning about machinery and working routinely with maintenance has helped Fallaw envision her future career goals.
“I definitely think I want to be a packaging engineer,” she said. “I really enjoy package testing and validating things. I’m a to-do list kind of person. A lot of these validations are like knocking things off a to-do list. It takes a lot of time, but it’s really rewarding once you’re done with them. We had three packaging engineers on our team and I was able to work alongside them a lot. I’ve been able to use them as my mentors and help them with whatever they need.”
Clemson legacy
Attending Clemson was almost a foregone conclusion for Fallaw, whose parents and grandparents are all alums. For her, the only question was which major to pursue. Finding a home in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, also meant staying close to her family lineage; her grandmother was a Cooperative Extension agent. Her father, Tommy Fallaw, received a horticulture degree at Clemson and currently serves as the University’s landscaping director.
“He always talks so highly of his time at Clemson,” Fallaw said. “It just showcased the true value of a CAFLS degree. He made the decision to join CAFLS so much easier, so I wanted to give back to that and further enhance my connection with alumni since my dad made CAFLS so evident to me.”
Getting involved, growing connections
Fallaw now devotes part of her time on campus to encouraging future Tigers to come to Clemson. She serves as a CAFLS Ambassador, helping to educate others on the work being done by the College. She jumped into her Clemson Experience with both feet, joining her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, during her first week at Clemson. That’s also where she met her current roommates.
In the summer of 2023, Fallaw worked at Clemson Blue Cheese, usually packaging orders at 6 a.m.
Some days, she would get to help make the cheese, allowing her to learn the food science behind making blue cheese. But that wasn’t the best part.
“What really drew me to the job was the packaging,” she said. “A large part of what I did was placing cheese wedges into bags and we would put those in a vacuum sealer and put those in a shrink tunnel and seal them. When I first got there, we had just gotten a new vacuum sealer and no one was sure how to use it.
“As a packaging science major, I was like ‘I can probably figure this out.’ I adjusted the settings and figured it out. By the time I left, it was fully working.”
Clemson, CAFLS, packaging science and problem-solving. A unique combination of experiences and opportunities encouraged Fallaw to forge her own path forward, even when all roads led to Clemson.
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