Nurturing a Legacy: Daffodil Planting Celebrates 10 Years of CHCRC and Memory of Dr. Priscilla Clarkson

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Priscilla Clarkson stands with with project manager Andy Soles and donor Melvin Howard during construction of Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community in 2013

On the bright and sunny afternoon of October 28, 2023, the college community came together for a special daffodil planting event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community (CHCRC), and the memory of the late Honors Dean, Dr. Priscilla Clarkson. With shovels in hand, over 30 participants dedicated over three hours to honoring Dr. Clarkson's enduring spirit, which was a key element in successfully guiding the CHCRC to be constructed. This heartfelt gathering was marked by moments of reflection, celebration, and a strong sense of community, as students, faculty, and staff worked side-by-side to plant bulbs that will grow into vibrant yellow daffodils — Dr. Clarkson's favorite flower.

The Event's Meaning and Goals

This annual daffodil planting served as a poignant and touching means for the Honors College to remember Dr. Clarkson and reflect on how her enduring values of resilience, growth, and excellence continue to inspire and influence the Honors community today. It brought people together in a collective endeavor of community building and beautification. As Associate Dean of Student Recruitment, Inclusion, and Success Ann Marie Russell reminded participants, "Each year we plant these flowers in October, and in March, we watch them bloom."

Setting the Stage

The day's festivities commenced with a delightful breakfast buffet, allowing participants to connect with old and new friends alike. Ann Marie Russell brought a special touch of legacy to the event by distributing time capsule letters for students to inscribe messages to future generations who will open them in 10 years, on the 20th anniversary of the opening of the CHCRC.

"I see this as a beautiful way to strengthen our sense of community at CHC. There is so much value in taking action together now and witnessing the tangible results in the coming months," wrote junior Riley in her letter.

Students writing notes for the time capsule, Photo: Myles Braxton

Planting Brings People Together

As anticipation for the planting built, Russell delivered an inspirational speech. Her words illuminated the profound meaning behind the event, framing it as a collective endeavor in community building and beautification.  I witnessed faces light up in the Honors Events Hall as participants got to know the people they’d be planting with for the next three hours. In that room, a palpable sense of community thrived — a unity that had already taken root even before anyone even set foot outside to plant. Participants then headed out to the Honors College lawn, armed with gardening tools, and began digging holes and nestling bulbs into the welcoming soil. This shared act of planting brought forth blossoming connections among attendees.

One sophomore shared her personal connection to gardening, striking a chord with others who bonded over their own cherished memories linked to planting. As Meredith Feltus, the Director of Community Relations and Strategic Impact, expressed: 

From left: Ann Marie Russell and Meredith Feltus speak at the 2023 Daffodil Planting, Photo: Myles Braxton

"I  love the fact that students are coming together to improve the space they live in and for the next generations of students; in essence, we’re celebrating 10 years right now, and hopefully some of the daffodils that we’re planting right now will be enjoyed by students 10 years from now."

The rhythmic sound of shovels piercing the soft earth filled the air as participants continued planting bulbs across the Honors College landscape. Laughter erupted when one student’s enthusiasm led her shovel to unexpectedly bend against a rock. "Do I have to pay for that?" she asked with amusement dancing in her eyes. A facilitator chuckled and lent a hand to bend the shovel back into shape, bringing a moment of lightness to their shared mission.

As they worked, conversations flowed as naturally as the cool earth sifting through fingers. One student bonded with her planting partner over their mutual love of interacting with nature. 

"I grew up working outside, helping my dad with his gardening," she explained while patting soil around a bulb. Others discovered common interests - their studies, hobbies, and hopes for the future — blooming like the daffodils soon would.

Students plant daffodils in the Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community, Photo: Myles Braxton

Planting to Nurture Community and Legacy

This daffodil planting event was about far more than flowers - it was about unity, growth, heritage, and honoring Dr. Clarkson. The very act of digging and planting bulbs together cultivated deeper connections between participants. It linked them across generations who have passed through CHC's halls.

As the daffodils bloom each spring, they will be a living reminder of Dr. Clarkson's remarkable legacy. Her spirit of excellence, resilience, and community will continue to thrive at the Honors College, nurtured by those who gather each year to celebrate her memory.