Kelechi Benet re-joins NGU as Mass Communication department faculty
Autumn Lowry, Staff Writer
When students left North Greenville University to go back home last spring, the community said goodbye to one of the most beloved professors at NGU. With Rick Sparks retiring, the faculty of the Mass Communication department got busy looking for someone to fill his shoes.
Now, as students are coming back to North Greenville University this fall, there are some new faces within Mass Communication. NGU welcomed Kelechi J. Benet back as a faculty member.
Benet attended North Greenville College from 1998 and graduated in 2002 with a degree in broadcast media.
While he was here, he spent much time working with the radio station on campus. The campus radio station back then, 95.5 The Vibe, could hardly be heard at the dorms. Now it can be heard even near the Walmart in Travelers Rest, S.C.
As much as Benet loved radio, his passion was film.
After graduating from North Greenville, he attended graduate school at Regent University. He took a job with the school that led to him graduating in 2009.
While at Regent, his class took a trip to Los Angeles, Calif. For many film makers, Hollywood is the dream. For Benet, it was his calling.
He said Hollywood is a whole other planet. If he came here, with great intentions, he might get lost in this. “The one thing to understand about LA is it doesn’t matter who you are or who you think you are because of its pulling and its culture pulls on people. Some people go out there and never make it out,” he said.
He wanted to be faithful to the Lord and to what God had called him to. He recognized the glamour of Hollywood, but also that good stories can come from anywhere.
Once he finished graduate school, there were no film or teachings jobs available. Thus, he turned to selling cars.
As he worked, teaching jobs began to open up for Benet. He taught at several universities such as Shorter University, South Carolina State University and Benedict college.
Benet hadn’t exactly planned on it, but he had thought about North Greenville.
“After being in high ed for a while and because I’m from Greenville, South Carolina, and because I had such a great experience at North Greenville . . . I always thought it would be great to come back home.”
Benet rose from student to professor and while he’s still getting used to having his former professors as his colleagues, he’s happy to be back. He said, “When I was a student here, the mission was to be a place where Christ makes the difference, and I’m glad to be back where that is still the mission.”
If you find yourself in the Mass Communication department, make sure to stop by to give Benet a warm “Welcome back to the family.”
