About Me

Professional Biography

I, Jawaun McClam, am from a small town called Florence, South Carolina. Staying in the state where I was raised, I started my higher education journey at the University of South Carolina. I began studying Civil Engineering due to my love for STEM-related courses in high school. Two years into the study, I changed my major to Geography with plans to obtain my Master's in City and Urban Planning. After graduating from the University of South Carolina, I shifted my career toward the education field, studying Higher Education Administration at Louisiana State University (LSU). I am currently a second-year Master's student in the Higher Education Administration program and a candidate for graduation in Spring 2022.

During my undergraduate study, I served as a Housing Resident Assistant, Orientation Leader, and Admissions volunteer. These roles ignited my passion for serving and supporting students and their families as they navigate the college search and early collegiate stages. Currently, I serve as a Graduate Assistant in the LSU Campus Life office where I support student organizations and student leaders daily. This experience aided me in developing a passion for supporting and engaging students while they obtain their degrees. I co-advise Student Activities Board and Homecoming Student Committee as well as help coordinate and implement campus events like Homecoming Week, Fall Fest, Mardi Gras Mambo, Geauzchella Music Festival, and involvement fairs.

 Orientation is where my student affairs passion began as I served as an orientation leader within the University of South Carolina New Student Orientation office for two years. This experience connected me with campus partners and departments and ignited my passion for connecting students to the necessary resources. I was able to learn more about this area by serving as a summer intern in Virginia Tech’s New Student and Family Programs. This experience allowed me to see orientation and recruitment from a different lens and solidified that this is the area I need to be in to start my career. In this role, I assisted with training and supervising student leaders, helped plan and coordinate orientation sessions and campus visits, and more.

   In my two years at Louisiana State University, I also chose to learn and grow within professional affiliations. I first joined the Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education (NODA) where I was able to land my summer internship. I also became a member of the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) where I currently serve as an LSU representative in the NASPA Graduate Associate Program. This role allows me to catalyze NASPA engagement amongst graduate students and allows me to create events and spaces for connections and growth.