"Gina" was an associate professor of criminal justice and the coordinator for the criminal justice program at the college and did what she could to best prepare her students.
The Dr. Regina White Benedict Scholarship will be awarded to students who plan on majoring or minoring in criminal justice. There is a preference for non-traditional women who are working toward a degree. The new scholarship was announced on Founder's Day on Oct. 21 during homecoming weekend.
Benedict died in March 2021. Her family is still coping with their loss but are happy to see her be honored in this way.
"She believed in the importance of education and tried to prepare each of her students to the best of her ability for success in life after college," the family said.
Her family said the scholarship was the best way to honor her and her legacy.
Benedict earned her bachelor of arts degree from Mississippi State University, her master's from East Tennessee State University and her Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville while working for the Department of Children's Services in Knox County.
Benedict's family said she always had an interest in the criminal justice system and how incarceration played a role in society, which led her to her roles at Maryville College. She started teaching at the college in 2011 and became a full-time lecturer in 2016. She was promoted as an assistant professor in 2018. Benedict also served as a member of the Conduct Appeals Board and helped the College establish close bonds with local law enforcement and graduate schools to help create opportunities for her students.
"From the moment Gina began teaching courses at MC, she felt a sense of belonging and talked often about how nice it was," her mother, Cookie White said. "She had aspirations for making the [Criminal Justice] major the most successful and best program possible. She wanted her students to be the best that they could be when serving in their chosen profession."
Her father, Mickey White, said Benedict wanted to pass her love of criminal justice to her students and that she "wanted them to think deeply about what justice is and whether it can actually be achieved in the world."