Stringers named 2024 Herb Coughlan Memorial Family of the Year

Prior to Saturday's home football game against NC State, the 2024 Herb Coughlan Memorial Family of the Year award was presented to Robin and Will Stringer. The long-time Clemson parents are truly representative of the award's "dynamic leadership and service" pillar.

Robin Stringer serves as the current chair of the Clemson Family Ambassador Board (CFAB) - a group of committed parents who aid the university in its efforts to boost the student experience and facilitate parent involvement. She has been a member of the board since January 2015, serving on every committee within the organization, as well as stepping up to chair and co-chair several at different times. Her volunteer days have even seen multiple name changes - in the early stages of her affiliation, the board was simply known as the "Parents Council" - but all the while, the organization's purpose and her passion for service has remained the same.

Though Robin ironically did not attend Clemson, her husband Will '88 is a Clemson graduate, as are three of her children (Natalie '18, Nina '20, Nella '23). Her son Wes is currently a junior studying agricultural mechanization and business. As a Clemson parent for almost 10 years, she has nothing but praise for the University.

"I am just as excited about the things Clemson has to offer our students now with my fourth Tiger as I was with my first Tiger all those years ago," she says, applauding the school's impressive growth and development.

The Herb Coughlan Memorial Family of the Year award honors parents who have gone above and beyond in their service and philanthropic contributions to the university. Robin's volunteer work within CFAB has accomplished this and more; she is a bright and welcoming point of contact for incoming families, instilling them with the desire to get connected and providing them with the opportunities to do so. Within her various roles, she has done everything from writing letters to accepted students (her daughter Nella coincidentally received one!), to organizing Fall and Spring Family Weekend volunteers, to helping support the orientation process - all with the ultimate, selfless goal of improving each family's individual experience.

In her current position as CFAB chair, Robin oversees more than 60 parents from around the country who are eager to learn more about Clemson and share their Tiger pride with new families. She believes her group stands out due to a willingness to form personal connections with incoming families, and she says it is the board's responsibility to "promote the Clemson Experience to families by sharing Clemson's values and establishing a sense of belonging for families with their students."

"The experiences we share through our volunteer work foster a lifelong Clemson connection for families and their students," she says. "I know we have a positive, lasting impact at Clemson University!"

When asked how she feels about her last child nearing the end of his Clemson journey and, therefore, her time on the CFAB coming to a close, Robin describes it as bittersweet. However, she does not plan to step away entirely.

"I will have to figure out what's next for me at Clemson," she jokes, "because I know there is something in these hills, and I want to tell everyone all about it!"