University of South Carolina names Leadership and Service Center for Stephen K. Benjamin
November 5, 2026
The University of South Carolina’s Leadership and Service Center, the university’s central hub for student involvement and community service, has been named the Stephen K. Benjamin Leadership and Service Center in honor of the nationally recognized attorney, public servant and civic leader.
Located in the heart of the Russell House University Union, the Stephen K. Benjamin Leadership and Service Center will advance its mission of developing students through leadership education and community engagement to make an impact at Carolina and beyond.
The center supports more than 700 student organizations, Student Government, the Graduate Student Association and a range of service and leadership development programs. Its work gives students opportunities to connect classroom learning with real-world knowledge of how to get involved, lead and serve communities in meaningful ways.
“As a student, I saw firsthand how mentors, service and a community that believes in you can help turn potential into purpose. My hope is that the Stephen K. Benjamin Leadership and Service Center will give students the same opportunities to learn, listen and serve alongside their neighbors while using their voices and talents to create meaningful change,” Benjamin says.
During his time at USC, Benjamin was elected student body president and later served as president of the Student Bar Association. In 1991, he joined the Zeta Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi® Fraternity, Inc. Those experiences helped establish the foundation for a career defined by leadership, scholarship and service.
Since graduating, Benjamin has served as director of the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services and assistant to the president, senior adviser and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. As Columbia’s first Black mayor, he served from 2010 to 2022, guiding the city through the historic floods of 2015 and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Students are the heart of this campus, and their leadership and service make a lasting impact on our university and community,” Associate Vice President for Student Life Ambra Hiott says. “We are deeply grateful to Mayor Benjamin for his investment in our students and for the example he continues to set through his commitment to service, civic engagement and leadership. The Stephen K. Benjamin Leadership and Service Center will inspire generations of Gamecocks to lead with purpose and make a difference in the world.”
Through partnerships with organizations in Columbia and beyond, the center facilitates students turning ideas into action. Service Saturdays, alternative break trips and the Big Event connect Gamecocks with community partners, while civic-engagement programming helps students explore active citizenship, engage in dialogue across perspectives and participate meaningfully in their communities.
With his generous gift to the university that helped shape him, Benjamin is investing in new pathways for students to discover their own capacity to lead and serve through initiatives including an endowed scholarship award and the Stephen K. Benjamin Civic Engagement Lecture Series. Each year, the series will bring a guest lecturer to campus to mentor student leaders and speak on leadership, civic engagement and community impact with the goal of encouraging dialogue and fostering professional development for students.
“Leadership requires action, and I am excited to see generations of Gamecocks equipped to take thoughtful action in their communities,” he says. “USC students are poised to become the kind of leaders who listen, bring people together and focus on solving the challenges that matter most.”
To learn more or contribute to the Stephen K. Benjamin Leadership and Service Center, visit www.sc.edu/lsc.
