B.E.S.T. Lives Center Executive Director Celebrates Educational Triumph of 23 Scholars Earning Degrees Through Prison Education Program
COLUMBIA, SC,December 10, 2025 – Dr. Vanessa Harris, executive director of the Benedict College B.E.S.T. Lives Center, will serve as the keynote speaker during the Northpoint Training Center Correctional Facility commencement on December 11, 2025, in Louisville, Kentucky.
Twenty-three scholars will receive their associate degrees in general studies or bachelor’s degrees in religious studies as part of the Simmons College of Kentucky’s prison education program. More than 150 scholars are currently enrolled in the program.
“This recognition highlights the significance of our efforts in prison education in South Carolina for me to be invited to bring the graduation address,” says Harris. “I am honored to celebrate the achievements of the 23 scholars in Kentucky.”
The Benedict College prison education program offers classes to students at the Broad River and Kershaw Correctional Facilities. Scholars earn a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies or business administration. The program is currently serving 25 students.
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Founded in 1870 by a woman, Bathsheba A. Benedict, Benedict College is a private co-educational liberal arts institution offering 29 competitive baccalaureate degree programs and two master’s degree programs. The Midlands HBCU welcomes students from several counties in South Carolina, states across America, and countries around the world. The College also has a diverse faculty deeply engaged in teaching, research, and service.
Benedict College has been highly regarded and exceptionally ranked for its programs by several academic and traditional publications. Benedict College is the recipient of the 2024 UNCF Institutional Excellence Awardgiven by UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building Program in celebration of an HBCU that achieved next-level performance. Benedict was also named HBCU of the Year by HBCU Digest and voted the number one Gold Winner in The States’ BEST College or University in 2025.
Benedict College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Five of the College’s degree programs hold national accreditation: Social Work Program, Environmental Health Science Program, Environmental Engineering, Studio Art, and the Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship.
