USC names Leadership and Service Center in honor of Stephen K. Benjamin

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - A prominent building at the University of South Carolina is being renamed in honor of a nationally recognized attorney, public servant, and civic leader.

The building will be called the Stephen K. Benjamin Leadership and Service Center. Benjamin is a two-time USC graduate. He is giving back to the university through an endowed scholarship and the Stephen K. Benjamin Civic Engagement Lecture Series.

“This building is where I had my first experiences in student leadership as a minority assistant peer counselor. I served on student government and the NAACP,” Benjamin said.

The Leadership and Service Center is used as the university’s central hub for student activities and community service. The center supports over 700 student organizations, including student government and the Graduate Student Association.

The university declared the unveiling as a “full-circle moment.” Benjamin was a student himself at the University of South Carolina. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science in 1991 and a Juris Doctor in law in 1994.

Since his time as a student, Benjamin served as director of the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services. He also worked as an assistant to the president, senior adviser, and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.

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Benjamin said the value of the center goes beyond the physical space.

“What’s more important about this space is not the physical space. It’s more so about the scholarships,” he said.

Benjamin said he hopes to help the next generation of Gamecocks find that same purpose.

“I believe these young leaders have the capacity not merely to inherit the world but to truly transform it, and that’s why this center matters,” Benjamin said.

Through the lecture series, a guest lecturer will come to campus each year to mentor students and share insights on leadership and community impact. Benjamin said he hopes the investment will foster generational success.

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