Written by Eliana Satkin, Travelability Insider, December 5, 2024
Shepherd Hotel’s work force gives new vision to what inclusion can look like in travel and work industries.
In downtown Clemson, South Carolina, the Shepherd Hotel stands out—not just for its Southern charm but for its bold mission to redefine inclusion in the hospitality industry.
Unlike most hotels, where staff blend into the background, the Shepherd Hotel ensures its team is front and center—for all the right reasons. Around 30% of its employees have intellectual disabilities, earning $13 to $18 an hour, well above the federal minimum wage. Compare that to a national employment rate of just 16% for individuals with intellectual disabilities, according to ThinkWork. This is true inclusion.
For co-founder Rick Hayduk, this mission is personal. Two of his four children have Down syndrome, inspiring him to build a space where barriers are dismantled, and potential shines.
The Shepherd Hotel collaborates with Clemson University’s ClemsonLIFE program, a groundbreaking initiative teaching young adults with intellectual disabilities how to live and work independently. Participants, including Hayduk’s daughter Jamison, take college courses and learn essential life skills like time management, hygiene, budgeting, and banking.
Erica Walters, the program’s director, said nearly all graduates secure jobs post-graduation. And the impact is growing—two more Shepherd Hotels are slated to open in South Carolina next year.
The Shepherd Hotel collaborates with Clemson University’s ClemsonLIFE program, a groundbreaking initiative teaching young adults with intellectual disabilities how to live and work independently.
“We want to grow for the sake of inspiration and change,” Hayduk explained.
The proof is in the people. Take Alex Eveland, a ClemsonLIFE graduate and now a server at the Shepherd Hotel. Doctors once doubted he’d walk or talk. Today, he’s pursuing a hospitality certification and dreams of opening his own restaurant.
Eveland says he would never dream of taking a day off, because he loves what he does!