A counselor, an instructor, a mentor, Michael McClellan begins his days in a variety of ways. Some days his mornings may begin in the classroom, teaching courses such as personal growth and development.
The next day it might begin as a counselor, following up with appointments with student athletes and faculty members; or even meeting with student athletes to guide them and advise them on methods of succeeding and coping with life.
Whether it is for academic reasons or for personal ones, McClellan believes in accessibility and the ability for student athletes to be able to communicate with him when any problem, issue, or concern arises. “I have an open door policy, students have access to me all day long,†he says.
As the director of the Athletic Zone program, his open door policy draws athletes from every sport into the study hall facility for his counseling, guidance and advice. Being a student athlete himself at the University of Oregon, McClellan has been successful on both sides of the educational spectrum.
As a student athlete has was admitted with an athletic scholarship and double majored in rhetoric communication and history. He then acquired three different master degrees from different institutions.
His first masters is from the University of Redlands in education counseling, his second one from the University of La Verne in leadership and management, and his third from Azusa Pacific University in physical education. He has worked with the empowerment programs on behalf of the counseling division such as the UJIMA program and is also a tenured faculty member.
His knowledge and expertise won him the 2009 state counselor award of the year given by the 3C4A. He was also nominated last year by students for the Risser teacher award. According to Greg Altounian, a college assistant under his observation, McClellan’s knowledge of the academic system and its applications is what makes him so effective.
“He has the most knowledge of all of us. He is an important figure in the athletic department and in our [student-athletes and faculty] lives,†says Altounian.
Many alumni such as Miranda Doing have benefited from McClellan’s experience in the academic environment and experience in life. “The advice he gave me had value because I knew he was once a student athlete and he was so good at it. Knowing that he made it validates his word,†said Doing.
McClellan’s commitment to succeeding and his desire to see his students succeed is backed up by his resume. And although his success speaks for itself, McClellan is still understanding of the struggles that student-athletes undergo during their time in college according to Altounian. “ He has not only succeeded, he has also failed as well. He knows what it feels like to be a student-athlete,†he said.
McClellan is currently working on his doctorate in educational leadership and continues helping students as well as faculty member in succeeding.
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