Special needs student finds acceptance and brotherhood in Clemson fraternity

Clemson, South Carolina — At Clemson University in South Carolina, the ClemsonLIFE program gives students with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to learn life skills for independent living.

But despite what the program offers, junior Charlie McGee wanted the full college experience, from alpha to omega. McGee told CBS News he wanted to join the fraternity to “have a great time, experience brotherhood and more joy.”

Unfortunately, rushing brotherhood is a process. There are interviews and mixers, but even then there is no guarantee that you will be accepted. In fact, no Clemson fraternity has ever admitted students from the ClemsonLIFE program. This was the first year that program participants could participate in fraternities.

Last month, when McGee learned he had received an offer from Phi Kappa Alpha, he was so excited that he ran out of his left shoe and into the loving arms of his new fraternity brothers.

“It was one of the coolest moments we’ve seen at Clemson, we saw it right here,” one Phi Kappa Alpha member told CBS News.

Several fraternity brothers told CBS News that at first, some members doubted a person with Down syndrome would fit into the group. But they were willing to help McGee, but later found out that it was McGee who was really helping them.

“The joy and light that we were missing in our chapter, that we didn’t know about from the beginning, is unreal,” said one fraternity member.

“He kind of broke all my preconceived notions of what a frat man should be,” said another.

Other Greek life groups came to the same conclusion. A total of six Clemson fraternities and five sororities hosted ClemsonLIFE students this year.

According to McGee, this will be a game changer. He believes that when you are fully accepted by others, something magical happens. And then he adds that when he’s with his fraternity brothers, “My disability doesn’t really exist.”

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