Lyceum Program hosts recognition ceremony to honor graduating students

On April 28, 2023, the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism hosted a Recognition Ceremony to honor their graduating Lyceum Scholars and Fellows. The Lyceum Program uses a great books approach to studying the moral, political and economic foundations of a free society and, upon completion, fulfills the academic requirements for a Political and Legal Theory minor.

This year’s class, composed of six Scholars and seven Fellows, achieved numerous academic honors at Clemson University, despite two years of challenges caused by the pandemic.

During the 2022/23 academic year, Sergio Gonzalez Varela won the James F. Byrnes Award, given to the top overall student in the Political Science Department. Andrew Boyles was awarded the Matt Locke Faculty Award for Excellence, presented to a senior in the Political Science Department whose accomplishments deserve special recognition.

In addition to their academic accomplishments and honors, several senior Lyceum Scholars worked tirelessly to publish the second edition of Clemson University’s first-ever humanities and social sciences publication, The Aurantiaco. Sergio Gonzalez Varela and Catherine Gangemi were Co-Editor-in-Chiefs, while Elizabeth Zarrilli served as Submissions Editor and Andrew Boyles served as Editor of Geography, History and Political Science. Two senior Scholars also participated in the Lyceum Student Speaker Series (LSSS), which can be viewed on YouTube. LSSS offers students a chance to explore their intellectual interests in a public forum by showcasing a Lyceum Thesis or research from a Lyceum class. Both Andrew Boyles and Sergio Gonzalez Varela were able to present their Lyceum Theses to faculty and peers.

After graduation, several graduates plan to continue their education. Judah Gray and Gabrielle Klok are applying to law schools. At the same time, Racquelle Velandi will attend Harvard University to pursue her J.D. Joshua Bellue will be attending the University of Georgia’s law school. Andrew Boyles, Elizabeth Zarrilli and Sergio Gonzalez Varela will pursue M.A.s in their respective fields of study. Other Lyceum graduates will be entering the workforce, largely in the political sphere.

When asked about this year’s Lyceum Class, C. Bradley Thompson, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism, said, “This year’s graduates have accomplished great things in their four years at Clemson. They are all taking on exciting opportunities after graduation. We’re incredibly proud of them and wish them the best as they go out into the world, representing both the University and the Lyceum Program.”

About the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism

CISC is America’s premier university-based teaching and research center dedicated to exploring the moral, political, and economic foundations of capitalism. Founded in 2005 and housed within Clemson University’s Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business, the independently financed Institute is educating a new generation of students about the moral requirements of a free society through the Lyceum Program.