October 30, 2024
Aaron Gillam had practical plans to make a living as a mechanic but now he’s majoring in religious studies at Clemson University and dreams of earning a master’s degree or entering seminary.
He attributes part of his 180-degree shift in his life to the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund.
“Once I had the opportunity to go to college and study things that interested me without reaping the repercussions of having debt, that’s when I decided to go to college,” he said.
Aaron grew up in a family where money was tight and neither parent graduated from college. He decided to parlay his passion for cars into a career, so he earned a certification for automotive service while still in high school.
But still he dreamed of college.
He was born and raised a Clemson fan. A close family friend played on the Clemson football team back in the 80’s and Aaron grew up watching the Tigers play.
Aaron said he’ll never forget when he learned about the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund and the chance to go to college debt-free.
“They were telling us about what we were going to be receiving (from the Scholarship), and I just looked at my mom and she and I both started crying,” he said. “I think our parents take on a lot that they don’t want to tell their kids. I knew she had that stress, even though she didn’t want to admit to me. So there was stress on my heart and stress on hers, and being able to relieve that for both of us was huge.”
Aaron enrolled at Clemson in the fall of 2021 as a business major, but his life changed when he found God. Through discernment, he said he decided to go into religious studies to learn more about religion without others pushing their beliefs.
“I wanted to look at things from a historical point of view and be able to understand other religions, but also learn more about my own,” he said.
It’s a big shift from where he started, and Aaron said he feels at peace with that.
“A lot of my life was trying to show people who I was and trying to make a name for myself,” he said. “Now I believe I’ve completely found my purpose in life, and it has nothing to do with me.”
Aaron said he initially wasn’t sure whether he wanted to stay at Clemson, and he even considered transferring or dropping out. But then he got involved in a few ministries and clubs. It’s those people and experiences who have made his time at Clemson amazing, he said.
“I’ve found people who think similarly to me but also differently to where we can have conversations,” he said. “That’s a huge thing when it comes to college is finding a good community of people to surround yourself with.”
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