Undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences have an enormous range of opportunities to expand their intellectual and personal horizons. In addition to challenging course work across a wide variety of academic disciplines, students can choose to learn about themselves and the world around them through the arts, study abroad, research, as well as service and leadership. But all of these opportunities require that students step out of their personal comfort zones and take some risks.

Spencer Bennett took a risk to come to the University of South Carolina. He was convinced that he would never be able to excel at a large university, having lasted “only five days” at the first college he tried. But he arrived at the University of South Carolina in the Fall of 2005 as a sophomore transfer student, with what was perhaps not a little anxiety. Fortunately, Spencer made the right choice and hasn’t looked back.

Since his arrival three years ago, Spencer has fully engaged with the life of the University and has excelled academically and as a student leader. A political science major, Spencer credits several professors in the Department of Political Science as particularly influential in his academic success:  Robert Angel, Jerel Rosati, and Don Fowler. Beyond the classroom, Spencer is regarded as an exemplary student leader. The list of his accomplishments is admirable. As the vice president for administration of the Student Judicial Council, Spencer works to ensure that students on our campus live by a code of civilized behavior that promotes the educational well-being and integrity of all students. As a member of Sigma Alpha Lambda, he devotes numerous hours to community service. In his role as an Orientation leader, Spencer assists hundreds of new students as they begin their studies at the University. For his outstanding leadership and generous contributions to University life, Spence has been named to Omicron Delta Kappa, a prestigious leadership honor society. No one deserves this honor more than Spencer.

The son of John and Susan C. Bennett of Charleston, SC, Spencer’s plan after graduation is graduate school in the field of educational policy and development.  He hopes one day soon to become a faculty member at a college or university where he can contribute both his theoretical knowledge and personal experience to enriching the educational experience for a new generation of undergraduates. We predict that Spencer will have a long and influential career.

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