Donor Spotlight: Clay and Emily Osburne

College of Education Donor Support Spotlight

Clay and Emily Osburne

New Education Building Room name:

Jason Clay and Emily McClanahan Osburne Learning Resources Center Huddle Room

Named after:

Clay and Emily Osburne

Their story:

Clay and Emily Osburne, both Auburn University graduates, have built lives rooted in service, leadership and faith. Clay earned his bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Auburn’s College of Education and his master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of West Georgia, later completing his Executive MBA from Rollins College in 2024. He has served as a teacher, coach, athletic director and principal during his education career in Atlanta and Birmingham. 

In his 25-year career, Clay has held executive roles in education, ministry and philanthropy — including President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida and currently SVP at National Christian Foundation Orlando. He is also an instructor at the Edyth Bush Institute, specializing in fundraising, board governance and nonprofit management.

Emily, a 2000 graduate in International Business, has a longstanding tenure working with nonprofit organizations, serving in areas of marketing and content creation. She is the owner of Emily Osburne & Company, helping entrepreneurs grow their digital brands. Prior to starting her company, Emily worked as a software trainer for the company Accenture and was also a Business Education teacher for approximately seven years.

Married since 2000, Clay and Emily have three children — Shuler, Easton and Emerson — and are active members of First Baptist Orlando. Together, the Osburnes exemplify the Auburn Creed through their belief in hard work, education and purpose-driven leadership. Their shared mission through giving and community-building has made a lasting impact. In honor of their generosity, the Jason Clay and Emily McClanahan Osburne Learning Resources Center Huddle Room was named at the College of Education.

Tell us the “why” behind your decision to name a room in the College of Education’s new building:

We love Auburn, and the College of Education holds a special place in our hearts. Auburn taught us how to collaborate with others through projects, teaching and presentations — lessons that still influence our work today. We love the idea of equipping the next generation of educators because education is one of the few professions that can create lasting change for an individual, a family, a community and even a country. Naming a room is a way for our family to be a small part of something much bigger than ourselves and to give back to a place that gave us so much.

What excites you most about the College of Education’s new building?

It’s exciting to see Auburn create one of the best education facilities in the country. We don’t know of many other Colleges of Education that have a space so intentionally designed to encourage deep thinking and collaboration. We’re confident in Dean Fairbrother’s leadership and the direction Auburn is going. The addition of the EAGLES Program is especially inspiring. It’s life-changing for so many students and families, and it reflects the heart of what Auburn stands for.

There’s so much to love about Auburn and its College of Education. What do you love most?

We love the Auburn spirit and the people who make it such a special place. The College of Education community — from professors to classmates — exemplifies excellence, connection and care. Those relationships and that sense of belonging continue long after graduation. The Auburn Family truly lives on through its people and their impact in the world.

What do you hope future generations will know about you/your family and the importance of the room that bears your family’s namesake?

Our family loves and believes deeply in the power of education. We also believe in teamwork — within our family and within the Auburn Family. That’s why we chose to name the huddle room, a space that reflects collaboration and shared purpose. We hope those who enter this room will know they are prayed for and supported. God created each person with unique skills, abilities and gifts, and our prayer is that College of Education students will use theirs fully as they inspire their future students to do the same.