Essie Sellers

Higher Education | Prison Education Advocate | Workforce Development

Role: Director of Retention, Best Lives Center at Benedict College
Location: Columbia, SC, US
LinkedIn followers: 500 followers

About Essie Sellers

As an educational leader with an EdD in Educational Policy and Organizational Leadership, a Master’s in Education, and a Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) credential, I am committed to advancing equitable, transformative learning pathways for individuals often overlooked in traditional academic spaces. My work centers on creating bridges between incarceration, higher education, and community reintegration — ensuring that education remains a catalyst for opportunity and social mobility.Through my leadership at the B.E.S.T. Lives Center and as the founding architect of the R.E.S.E.T. Prison Education Program at Benedict College, I support adult learners from vulnerable and justice-impacted backgrounds. My expertise includes program development, curriculum design, faculty training, and the implementation of evidence-based practices that promote student retention, identity development, and long-term success.I welcome opportunities to connect with colleagues, practitioners, and advocates who are dedicated to reimagining what\'s possible in prison education, adult learning, and community development. Let’s collaborate!

Experience

Director of Retention, Best Lives Center
Benedict College
Aug 2021 — Present · Columbia, SC, US

Education

Francis Marion University
Master’s Degree, Education-Instructional Accomodation
2013 — 2016
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Doctor of Education - EdD, Educational Policy Organizational Leadership
2024
Francis Marion University
Bachelor’s Degree, Political Science and Government
2008 — 2012

Contact information

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Personal email
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Current company

Benedict College

Education Administration Programs · 709 employees · Founded 1870 · Columbia, South Carolina, United States

Our Mission Statement: Benedict College will be a power for good in society. Benedict College will be a full opportunity college with high quality programs of teaching, research, and public service. These programs will provide our students and community with the knowledge, skills, understandings, and values required to empower them to be a power for good in society to create a better world. We seek geographic, international, and racial diversity in our student body, while continuing to facilitate the empowerment, enhancement, and full participation of African Americans in a global society and to maintain our historic affiliation with the Baptist Church. Our History Founded in 1870, Benedict College is a private, co-educational liberal arts institution and currently has over 2,470 students enrolled in baccalaureate degree programs. Benedict College was recently ranked for the third consecutive year one of the top baccalaureate colleges in the nation by Washington Monthly for creating social mobility among low-income students, producing cutting edge scholarship and research. In 2011, Benedict received the National Civic Engagement Award from The Washington Center. Benedict is recognized for encouraging students to give back to the community which is the heart of the College’s vision and mission. Benedict also was named one of the top 100 institutions in the nation graduating African-American scholars in by Diverse Magazine. Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis is the 14th and first female president of Benedict College. Since Dr. Swinton’s appointment in 1994, the College has experienced a dramatic increase in its enrollment, particularly among male students. As a result of this tremendous growth, Benedict has the second largest undergraduate population of the 20 private institutions in South Carolina, and has become the third largest college in The College Fund/UNCF network. Benedict has over alumni throughout South Carolina and the United States. T.

benedict.edu

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About Essie Sellers

Experience

Director of Retention, Best Lives Center

Education

Francis Marion University

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Francis Marion University

Find verified contacts for anyone on LinkedIn