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Making the Connection

For Wilmington University’s 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award winner, community is life

On any given day, Jeffrey Benson Jr. plays a number of roles, including father, husband, businessman, student, and community leader. But what keeps his phone ringing, he says, is being a "connector of people." "I have the gift of wanting to help people, to see people in a better position than where they're at," says Benson. His efforts to help the residents of his hometown of Seaford, Delaware, have earned him Wilmington University's 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award, given annually to recognize outstanding achievements among exceptional graduates. "Sometimes you want to do things that are bigger than yourself," Benson explains. "I'm not rich, but I have the passion to share resources. And if you're recognized for work that you're passionate about, how can you not be humbled by that?"

Making the connections between those in need and those who have the resources to help can take a lot of time—one of the most valuable resources of all—but Benson takes it all in stride.

A managing partner at Prominent Insurance Group, Benson is a two-time graduate of WilmU's College of Business with an eye on a third degree. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Marketing in 2015 and an MBA in Organizational Leadership in 2019. Since May 2020, he's been studying toward a Doctor of Business Administration as well.

Benson's seat on the Seaford School District Board of Education and his participation in a range of statewide development initiatives, including the Vision Coalition of Delaware's leadership team and the Delaware Racial Equity and Social Justice Collaborative, represent only the surface of his service.

Every other Thursday, he takes part in mentoring local middle and high school students with lessons of leadership for young men in crisis. "When you're working with youth, you see a reflection of yourself," he says. "You remember that sometimes you just need to be pointed in the right direction."

His tutoring group, called "The Gentlemen's Club," migrated to a videoconference format last spring. The virtual sessions offer much-needed assistance to students who are struggling with remote learning.

He's also one of the organizers of Seaford Community of Hope, a relief project that helps local families raise children and helps local children overcome adversity. Developed in 2019, the organization found no shortage of needs to address in the Year of COVID. "We never stopped working," says Benson. Seaford Community of Hope lent a hand in the Seaford School District's food distribution efforts to residents throughout the year. It also offset rent payments and donated gift cards to the residents of a local low-income housing development, in addition to arranging a coronavirus testing event there. "Jeffrey Benson is most deserving of the Distinguished Alumni Award," says Dr. Tina Barksdale, WilmU's vice president of student affairs, alumni relations and development. "His successful career, his educational achievements, and his impact in the Seaford community —especially the work he has done to help children and families in need and directly affected by the pandemic—make him a standout alum and the ideal person to be honored with this award."

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