When Asha James married a Clemson alum, she knew how much the University meant to him.
What she didn’t expect was how much Clemson would also begin to mean to her.
James and her husband, Billy ‘93, both physicians, met during their medical residencies in West Virginia before eventually settling in Columbia and raising a family of four daughters. As their daughters grew older and began thinking about college, Billy encouraged them to consider Clemson.
“He told them, you can hear people talk about Clemson but you won’t truly understand what makes it special until you step foot on campus and experience the culture for itself. Billy wanted our daughters to experience it too,” James said. “We started sending our daughters to summer programs, and I began to research the University itself, and I really liked what Clemson had to offer.”
Getting involved
James began volunteering with Dabo’s Ladies Clinic and spending more time on campus, gaining firsthand exposure to the people and programs that make Clemson unique.
In 2024, the family’s second oldest daughter chose to enroll at Clemson and in the Honors College. According to James, the decision “brought tremendous joy” to their family. Inspired by her daughter’s experience, James sought opportunities to deepen her own connection to Clemson and become more actively involved.
Since then, James has served as a dedicated volunteer, mentor and donor. She is a member of the Honors College Dean’s Advisory Board and the Honors College Fiercely Forward Campaign Cabinet. She volunteers with the College of Science’s Tigers on Call program, where she has contributed as both a medical panel speaker and panel moderator.
That commitment to student success extends to the Clemson Career Workshop where James served on a career day panel, sharing insights from her work as a physician.
Through the Fiercely Forward Campaign Cabinet, James works alongside Clemson alumni and friends who are committed to expanding opportunities for students and ensuring the University continues to prepare graduates to lead, innovate and make a meaningful impact.
As James’ relationship with Clemson has deepened, so have her daughters’ connections to the University. Her second oldest daughter is now a rising junior in the Honors College, and her third daughter is exploring Clemson through the Clemson Career Workshop as she prepares for her own college application process.
Opening doors for future Tigers
James said one of the most meaningful moments in her Clemson Experience came when she and her husband dedicated an Honors College classroom in honor of their parents.
“That was probably my most memorable moment,” James said. “This is what it’s all about. Taking advantage of the opportunities Clemson provides and then giving back.”
For James, that spirit of giving back goes beyond financial support. She has hosted students at her practice, helped connect Clemson leaders with potential supporters and offered her time to mentor students and strengthen the University’s overall student experience.
“There are so many ways to give. It doesn’t just have to be financial.”
Her advice to other parents considering how to engage with Clemson is simple — get involved if you are able, remembering the opportunities and people that made a difference in your own life. James said that many of the experiences available to Clemson students exist because someone before them chose to open a door.
James also hopes other families will see that involvement can begin before a student even arrives on campus. In August, she is hosting an event for incoming Honors College students and families from Columbia and its surrounding communities. The event is designed to help make incoming students feel welcomed and supported before move-in week.
Sarah Winslow, Dean of the Clemson University Honors College, said that James serves as a reminder that there are many ways to become part of the Clemson Family.
“Asha defines what it means to be All In,” Winslow said. “She fully commits to everything she does, and our campus is better because of it. She understands that many of the opportunities available to students today exist because someone chose to get involved, and she has become an important part of that tradition.”
Through it all, James said Clemson has become more than a place her family visits or supports. It has become a community where she feels at home.
“That’s what Clemson is,” she said. “I feel like I’m completely an alum. I’m adopted in.”
