Mardi Smith Fair ’00 spends her days as Deputy Legal Counsel to South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and her evenings as wife to Banks and mom to two young daughters. As the first person to complete the University of South Carolina Honors College and Law School BA/JD program in a record 5 ½ years, Mardi has always been driven. After working in the South Carolina Attorney General’s office for several years, she now has a front-row seat to many big and small decisions being made in the governor’s office.

Ben Lippen holds a special place in Mardi’s heart because of the way it shaped and impacted her life. She said that Ben Lippen gave her lifelong friends and prepared her well for college and law school. During her time here, she learned to be kind, how to be faithful when no one is looking, and how to work as unto the Lord, no matter the job. Some of her fondest Ben Lippen memories are the senior class prayer time and class meetings they would have each morning. She recalls that there were so many friendly people who attended Ben Lippen.

Mardi is one of four Smith children, all of whom graduated from Ben Lippen, the others being Graham ’97, Stan ’98, and Connie ’04. Her advice to current students is to daily humble yourself and pray Psalm 91 over all God entrusts to your care.