When Chase Carter steps onto the floor of Littlejohn Coliseum as part of the processional of December graduates from the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business, he'll look out and immediately try and find members of his family. They're making their first trip to Clemson as he graduates with a degree in financial management.

"I'm excited to show them what I've been describing all along," says Carter, whose family still resides in Independence, Kansas. "I'm excited to have that part of my life meet this part of my life."

This part of his life has been especially fruitful for Carter, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps who has grown into a well-rounded leader and advocate for members of Clemson's military student community.

How he wound up at Clemson in the role he did is another story.

Carter was an avionics technician serving with a non-deployable training unit for pilots and air crew in the Marine Corps from 2015-20. He spent the bulk of his time with the corps at the New River Air Station in Jacksonville, North Carolina. When he left the military, he ended up at Hawaii Pacific University.

Carter had mutual friends who lived in the Clemson area. He ended up looking into a potential transfer and made his way to Upstate South Carolina on a whim.

"My first year at Clemson, I wasn't really involved in any extracurricular activities," he admits. "But then in the summer of 2023, I found the Military & Veteran Engagement Resource Center in Vickery Hall and was able to become a work-study student through the VA."

Working about 25 hours a week, he connected quickly with staff from the Office of Military & Veteran Engagement (M&VE), in particular Emily DaBruzzi and Scott Cook. Suddenly, a student who found himself struggling through the transition to Clemson his first year was now assisting others with the same transition.

"Every day, people come into the center struggling with different aspects of their experience," he says. "The moment I walked into the center, my entire experience changed. It gave me purpose and a like-minded community that understood the struggles of transitioning out of the military."

There was a time Carter wasn't so sure he would follow in the footsteps of his father, who also served in the Marine Corps. Carter was born on a military base in California and his service lineage was strong - his grandfather served during World War II.

As a high school senior, he began looking more into his family's history and connection to service.

"I didn't really understand what it meant to serve until I was about to graduate," he says. "Once I walked into the recruiter's office and signed up, it felt like the right path for me. Internally, I had a compass helping me find my way toward some type of service, and I'm glad I did."

Being a small piece of a huge organization showed Carter how to serve a bigger purpose. He learned the value of hard work, discipline and punctuality. He grew from a child to an adult and learned how to handle his business, a skill that has undoubtedly helped him later in life.

Carter has thrived during his time at Clemson. Shortly after walking into the M&VE Resource Center, he joined the Student Veterans Association (SVA) - a community of students with similar life experiences much different than their traditional 18- to 22-year-old undergraduate counterparts.

After serving as communications director for the SVA, he was elected to the role of president in 2024. He's followed in the footsteps of great leaders such as Matthew Morris and Rachelle Hales and put his own distinct stamp on the position.

He's been involved in several unique events. The past two years, he's been instrumental in the planning and coordination of the 9/11 Memorial Stadium Stair Climb, an event honoring first responders and heroes of the September 2001 tragedy. This fall, the event doubled its attendance from year one.

During his presidency, Clemson was also selected to host a student veteran roundtable with the United States Secretary of Veteran Affairs, Denis McDonough. He calls it a lasting memory of his time at Clemson.

"We now have a Veteran Readiness and Employment counselor who comes once a week to us, and that was a direct result of that meeting with the secretary," he says. "It was an incredible honor to talk to the secretary. It was a nod to organizations such as M&VE and the SVA and was a cornerstone event."

Carter has earned accolades for his leadership. He took home the Outstanding Student Veteran Award in Fall 2023 and earlier this fall was Student of the Game as Clemson football hosted The Citadel for Military Appreciation Day.

His success is no surprise to those who know him well.

"Chase has done a wonderful job leading the SVA and is a nationally-recognized student leader within our office," says Cook, SVA advisor and assistant director of M&VE. "We are grateful to him for his efforts, which have had a remarkable impact on Clemson's campus."

He recently passed the presidential torch to Coast Guard veteran Webb Gillespie and looks forward to seeing the SVA continue to grow. He's also been accepted in Clemson's Master of Business Administration program, meaning he will be in the area for a few more years. It might also mean more visits from family.

"When they come, they'll see what I saw in this place and understand why I want to start my professional career in the Upstate. Clemson is home at this point."