YONDER | community
Hospitality With Heart How each inspiring getaway at The Shepherd Hotel makes a life-changing impact in the Upstate WRITTEN BY J. MORGAN MCCALLUM
“T
he Shepherd Hotel was truly built on the concept of love,” says Erica Walters, program director of ClemsonLIFE. “Everything about the experience is intentional—from aesthetics and design to the soft bedding and sheets to the way entrances were built to accommodate people with disabilities. It is changing the lives of LIFE students, yes … But our students are changing the lives of every person that walks into that hotel.” The Clemson University students that Walters is so proud of are equally as proud to be the heart and soul of downtown Clemson’s celebrated new boutique getaway: The Shepherd Hotel. For the unfamiliar, the ClemsonLIFE program offers a collegiate experience that prepares young people with intellectual disabilities for competitive employment and independent living through a combination of academic coursework and career exploration. For seasoned hotel leader and cofounder of the Shepherd Hotel, Richard Hayduk, partnering with these incredible students is part of a deeply personal mission. “Eighteen years ago, my daughter was born with Down Syndrome, which completely changed the lens that I looked at life through,” reflects Hayduk. “When your child is born with a disability, you question what kind of life they will have—and what happens when you’re gone,” Hayduk explains. “So, I began toying with the idea of how to best set my daughter up for her future.”
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CLIFFS LIVING