From Tanzania to Clemson, Emeline Niyibitanga’s journey has been one of purpose and impact
Fourteen years after immigrating with her family to the United States from Tanzania, Emeline Niyibitanga enrolled at Clemson University a first-generation college student in August of 2021. Now, in August 2025, she graduates from Clemson as the first person in her family to receive a bachelor’s degree.
What began as a milestone for her family has grown into a legacy that touches lives across the entire Clemson community.
Niyibitanga entered Clemson with an inclusive and servant-hearted spirit, always approaching others with genuine curiosity and a deep desire to learn how people and ideas connect. She began exploring this passion in her political science studies before she changed her major to anthropology. This decision would change the trajectory of her journey and inspire global leadership and change.
“Anthropology is both fascinating and empowering to me. I love learning about people and the world around me because it calls me to reflect on my being and empowers me to see myself as an active creator of culture and a changemaker,” says Niyibitanga. “Anthropology has allowed me to weave my love for learning and connecting others into a meaningful pursuit of social innovation.”
This mindset deeply shaped her Clemson Journey.
From the moment she arrived, Niybitanga sought out meaningful ways to grow and give back. She immediately joined the Connections living and learning community, where she began forming relationships that would guide her path forward. She also built friendships through Campus Outreach and stepped into leadership through the African Student Association (ASA) and the Council of Diversity Affairs (CODA), part of Clemson Undergraduate Student Government. As a sophomore, Niyibitanga continued her work as president of ASA and became a Distinguished Ethics Scholar through Clemson’s Rutland Institute of Ethics.
“Emeline seemed to be everywhere on campus, and everyone seemed to know her,” says Michael LeMahieu, associate dean for undergraduate and graduate studies in the College of Arts and Humanities. “Her presence and her smile would brighten up the room. I am so impressed with the leadership roles that she played in so many important initiatives. We are going to need a dozen students to replace her!”
Exponential experience
She began an internship with Clemson’s Division of Advancement, where she contributed to community-building initiatives, led communications projects, and took charge of planning a day-long employee retreat designed to help staff reset, relax and refocus ahead of the Fall semester. Over her next three years as an intern, she continued to grow and build strong relationships across campus departments while developing programs that strengthened employee well-being and collaboration.
Throughout her junior year, Niyibitanga’s service expanded beyond campus. She traveled to Dominica in the Caribbean for a service trip and became involved with Every Campus a Refuge (ECAR), an independent student organization focused on supporting refugee families’ integration into the community. Through ECAR, she built a lasting relationship with a local family, one she continues to invest in as she prepares to graduate.
Niybitanga also took on a leadership position with Clemson’s Student Ethics Committee, CHANGE, where she represented the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences as the chief marketing officer. Her commitment to service and ethical leadership quickly stood out.
Emily Elizabeth Cotton, M.Div., assistant director of the Rutland Institute for Ethics, shared the following about Niyibitanga’s impact: “In her dedicated service and leadership, her commitment to Clemson is unmatched. As a leader, she has a unique gift of being able to amplify success and innovate where there is weakness. Emeline serves and leads with humility, grace and a vision for a better future that drives her work.”
Learning abroad
In her final year as an undergraduate at Clemson, Niyibitanga took advantage of a study abroad experience in Costa Rica, while continuing her leadership with CHANGE and her internship with Advancement. She also served on the Student Advisory Board of the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences and continued her service work through the delegated student organization, Two for the Team. In every corner of campus, Niyibitanga found opportunities and connection, and she intentionally built on those blessings to have a profound impact through service, leadership and research. Tia Dumas, Ph.D., associate vice president for strategic alliances, observed this about Emeline: “Emeline exemplifies the best of Clemson — grounded in our shared values, curious and forward-thinking. But a characteristic I observe to be far more difficult to practice every day, and one that Emeline demonstrates with ease, is authenticity.”
Niyibitanga will be the first, but certainly not the last, in her family to cross the graduation stage. Her journey is already inspiring others, including one younger brother enrolled at the College of Charleston and another preparing to follow her to Clemson this fall as the family’s second Emerging Scholar.
As Niyibitanga looks out to the new horizon before her, searching for that first post-graduation opportunity, she takes her Clemson Experience with her.
In her own words, “As I reflect on my experience, I can’t help but think I am set for life. I feel not only academically prepared but also personally enriched and empowered to lead. My experiences and the community I’ve made at Clemson continue to inspire me and shape me into a well-rounded individual. Clemson has taught me to value and invest in potential, just as they have done with me. The foundation that I have built at Clemson as a student has set me up for a life filled with purpose, learning and service.”
