Anna Birchfield

Anna shares about her unique path to Clemson, the reality of finding your place is this crazy world, and the sweet sisterhood that made it all make sense.

“I‘ve always wanted to be in a sorority, but no one in my family had ever been involved in Greek Life before, so I really had no idea what to expect. When I started my college search, Clemson was always where my heart pointed me. I don’t know what it was that made this place so special, but I always saw myself here. To keep things short, it wasn’t until I didn’t get accepted into Clemson that I had to truly think about myself starting college somewhere else. That ‘somewhere else’ for me turned into Appalachian State. During my first semester of freshman year there, I went through Recruitment and joined ADPi, which was great, but to be completely transparent, it was still not what I had imagined for the beginning of my college experience. I was in a place I didn’t want to be and still felt called to Clemson, which is why I decided to transfer after the fall semester. Here I am writing this today, and can say with confidence, that transferring has turned out to be the best decision I could have made.

My switch into ADPi here was initially very scary because I knew next to nothing about the girls in the chapter and I was nervous to start from ground zero with a completely new group of people. I am not going to say that my first semester at Clemson wasn’t hard, because it was, in more ways than one, but I slowly began to adapt. The spring was tough because I didn’t know many people and often felt on the outside, which is natural for anyone who is jumping in late to something. Due to this, I have to say that it was not until living on the hall this year that my time at Clemson genuinely felt right and so sweet. I have never experienced such an overwhelming feeling of gratitude that I feel for this place, this year, and all of the girls that I am surrounded by within ADPi. There is most definitely something special about the girls in this chapter. They are people who will get to know your heart, love you well, and encourage you every single day. If I could pick one thing that has meant the most to me during my time at Clemson so far, I would 100% say it is the best friends that I’ve made in ADPi. They are the biggest blessings of college yet! They are the people I get to experience life with - the good, the bad, and the ugly - and for that I am forever grateful! I don’t have the proper words to do these girls justice. They are much more than people who I simply spend time with; we cry together, eat together, go on allll the coffee runs together, and have the silliest time doing it all. It’s not often in life that you find people who constantly build you up, point you towards Christ, laugh with you until you cry, and genuinely want to listen to your needs and struggles. These silly moments on the hall are moments that I will always cherish, and I am so thankful that ADPi brought me them. ADPi Zeta Nu has changed my college experience for the better, and I know that I would not be able to say any of the same things had I not transferred - for that I am grateful!

It is a bit cliché to say that my sorority brought me my best friends, but I really can’t imagine doing college without them. The other day I was thinking about how a little over a year ago I was in high school wondering what my college friends would be like, and now I am here with them and could not be happier with how things turned out. I really do give credit to ADPi for these sweet friendships!!

Something that my friends and I joke about is how I will be planning their weddings one day. I hope to become an event coordinator specializing in weddings and social events. It has always been a long-term dream of mine to be a wedding planner because I love all things involving people, details, and organization. The thought of planning one of my friend’s weddings makes me so excited because it would be such a sweet time with all of the people I love. I will be forever grateful for the incredible people Clemson and ADPi gave me - I am so excited for the many memories there are left to be made, as I know the rest of my time here will only be even sweeter.” — Anna Birchfield, AC ‘18

Fun Facts:

Best Clemson Memory?

One single Clemson memory is almost impossible to pick out! I would have to say that going to dinner at me and my friends’ favorite restaurant Yolk and then coming back to the hall and having girl’s night will always be one of my favorite things to do!

Role Model?

Brooke Davis from One Tree Hill

Favorite Quote?

“Sometimes my heart aches at how my life has turned out, in a good way. It doesn’t mean there haven’t been hardships, there have been, but I’m here and here is good.” –Brooke Davis

Lytton Infinger

Basketball season is back! Just ask Lytton, a Student Worker for the program she loves most, Men’s Basketball, thanks to one special sister who helped bring her dreams come to life.

“Growing up, my family always loved basketball because I had relatives play in college which led to me loving the sport itself. When I was in high school, one of my friends took me to my first Clemson basketball game and I immediately fell in love with the program, the team, and the atmosphere. Coming into Clemson as a freshman, I ended up meeting one of my best friends, Abby Brownell, at ADPi Bid Day whose dad is actually the head coach of the Men’s Basketball team. She told her dad about how much I loved Clemson basketball and got me in contact with people in the office which eventually led to me getting a job as a Student Worker in the Men’s Basketball Office my sophomore year of college. Everyone that knows me knows that it has been an absolute dream come true to be able to work for the team that I love so much and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity.

In the office, I have worked directly with the Director of Basketball Operations, Director of Recruiting Operations, Administrative Assistant, and Assistant Coaching Staff. I do many different tasks such as keeping track of our recruiting system, sending weekly graphic mailings to recruits, and helping plan annual events. Every day in the office is different which is what makes my job so much fun. It has been unreal going from being just a fan to a part of this team.

My favorite memory while working for the Clemson Men’s Basketball team has been getting to travel with the team to the NCAA tournament a couple years ago. I got to fly with the team to San Diego, California where they played the first two rounds of March Madness. Getting to see everything that goes into traveling and preparing for a tournament was an amazing experience that I will never forget.

My favorite part of every Clemson Men’s Basketball game is at the very end when the team stands together to sing the alma mater. Win or lose, the team always comes together which I think is a great representation of the Clemson Family. I think it demonstrates how our players and staff love their school which is super unique and special.

This job definitely relates to my future career aspirations. Although I am still trying to pinpoint exactly what I want to do, I know I want to work in sports and this job has solidified that desire. Helping plan our annual events such as Alumni Weekend, End of the Year Banquet, Senior Night, and Tiger Wonderland has furthered my interest in sports event planning. Something else that has always interested me is working with NBA Cares which connects NBA teams to the community and charities. I know I would be happy in many different sports careers and I can’t wait to see what I end up choosing come my graduation in May!

Being a senior is extremely bittersweet. It feels like just yesterday I was moving into Manning Hall and I cannot believe my time at Clemson is coming to an end. This is a year of many “lasts,” but I am excited to open a new chapter when I graduate. When I graduate, I am hoping to find a job in a fun, new city. I am not sure exactly what my future holds, but am excited to get into the “real world” soon!

ADPi has had a tremendous impact on my Clemson career. I have had so many amazing opportunities to make connections, meet new people, and get involved in the community. I grew up helping the Ronald McDonald House in Greenville, so when I discovered that this was ADPi’s philanthropy I was automatically intrigued. It has been so rewarding and fun getting to help RMHC further through ADPi. Most importantly, ADPi has given me is the best group of friends I could ask for. I have found my people who have been by my side since freshman year and will be by my side forever. I truly cannot imagine life without them and know we will remain close no matter where we all end up after graduation.” — Lytton Infinger, AC ‘16

Fun Facts:

Celebrity you'd like to be bff's with?

“Khloe Kardashian”

Role model?

“My mom”

Happy place?

“Lake Summit (Saluda, North Carolina)”

Alexis Kiriakides

Alexis is spending senior year learning the ins and outs of the media industry while savoring every second soaking up that “something in these hills” we all know and love.

“Clemson has held such a special place in my heart for as long as I can remember. I can still picture my two sisters and me dressing up as Clemson cheerleaders for Halloween when we were little. Growing up in Greenville, Clemson has always felt like home. My dad graduated from here, so my family grew up attending many Clemson games. When the time came to apply for college, I really didn’t want to apply anywhere else. I knew Clemson was where I wanted to be, and I am so happy and blessed to call this place home!

I have had many favorite moments here but two that have stuck out to me have been getting to experience winning the 2016 National Championship in Tampa with my family and the 2018 National Championship here at Clemson with all of my friends. Also running down to my older sister on Bid Day and my little sister running down to me. These are the ones that I will never forget and will cherish forever!! Thinking of these moments makes me smile, and I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to experience memories like these.

ADPi has impacted my time at Clemson more than I could have imagined. ADPi has blessed me with the best of friends and memories that I will cherish forever. I have grown so much as a person because of all of my friends and sisters – they encourage me, lift me up, and are always there when I need them. I will forever be thankful for all of the friendships I have made here at Clemson and in ADPi, and I know that these relationships will continue to grow even after I graduate!

Working at Greenville’s News Station WYFF this semester has been so much fun! I never really thought I would be interested in the media industry, but it has been such an enjoyable learning experience. Everyone at WYFF is so nice and wants to help me learn, and I love everyone I work with! I have gotten to experience all of the different departments at the station – the sales department, creative services/marketing department, and the news department. I have learned so many different and cool things like selling commercials and billboards, seeing the behind-the-scenes work of putting together an ad, brainstorming with creative services to come up with different marketing plans, and going out with breaking news to see live news happen. I’ve been able to oversee and shadow so many great people!

It is so bittersweet being a senior. Thinking about how I only have one semester left at the best University makes me so thankful but also sad. I am trying not to think of all the “lasts” and just enjoy each day and live in the moment. This has been the best four years. I am excited to see what the future holds, but I will miss Clemson so much. Simple things like walking to class, staying up late with my roommates, and trying to study with my friends but it really just turns into a big laughing session (J) are things I am going to miss the most.

After I graduate, I plan to pursue a career in marketing or sales. I am not sure exactly where I will be, but I know God has a plan for me and I’m excited to see what it is.

Younger sisters, enjoy every second at Clemson. I know it sounds so cliché, but time really does fly. Don’t blink and you’ll be a senior! Make time for the people and things you love and that mean the most to you. You have limited time here at Clemson, soak it all in!!” — Alexis Kiriakides, AC ‘16

Fun Facts:

Celebrity you'd like to be bff's with?

“Taylor Swift – have loved her since day 1 !!!”

Childhood trend you miss?

“All the best shows on Disney Channel – Hannah Montana, That’s so Raven, & Lizzie McGuire to name a few!!”

Go-to throwback jam?

“Burnin’ Up by the Jonas Brothers”

Sophie Radebaugh

Our resident sports fan, Sophia, has taken her passion for reporting courtside, and is looking forward to using this experience in her exciting next chapter post-graduation.

“I chose Clemson last minute... almost went to Bama (yikes). I just felt like this is where the Lord was calling me and I also fell in love when I toured in high school. A huge defining moment for me at Clemson was when I joined student media, it really allowed my passion for journalism to come into fruition. I started as a sports reporter with TigerVision then was the Assistant Sports Director my sophomore year, but have moved on to doing internships with local news stations. I currently intern with 105.5 The Roar and WSPA Channel 7. I'm on a gameday radio show for 105.5 then am doing sideline for Clemson Basketball with WSPA. The Tiger Tailgate Show with 105.5 is the most fun I've had all year. It's a 2-hour pregame show every Clemson football game, home and away. I have two segments, about 5 minutes each. CJ Spiller is the host and I'm a contributor. He's become a great friend and an awesome connection.

ADPi has been a great source of joy for me. There have been countless times where I've stepped into an ADPi event and have forgotten about the stresses I face in college. Being a senior is also SO fun. I don't fear the future at all... I feel like I've prepared myself well. Advice for younger girls is to do just that... prep yourself in the years at Clemson so you're not freaked out when May rolls around. Create healthy habits. Eat well, workout, study hard, sleep, MAKE CONNECTIONS!!! Connections are everything.” — Sophia Radebaugh, AC ‘16

Fun facts:

Dream job?

“Dream job is sideline reporter for an NBA team”

Spirit animal?

“A lion :) mainly because of my hair”

Childhood trend you miss?

“Giving everyone in your class a Valentine's Day card :( I loved that”

Sadly it’s time for me to sign off as Historian! Reading your stories of vulnerability, joy, hardship, success, and ambition have always been the highlight of my week, and will forever hold a place in my heart. Never underestimate the power of emotion and fearless authenticity. I am so proud of each and every member of this chapter, this is what sisterhood is all about! Cheers to you, Zeta Nu, and all the stories yet to unfold. - Jane Janick, AC ‘18