As WVU’s 22nd Truman Scholar, Benjamin Seebaugh is following in the footsteps of a long line of WVU Truman winners who are making a difference in the world.
He, along with a few other WVU students, also created the Student Advocates for Legislative Advancement student organization.
He and a group of SGA members who created the SALA helped pass a tenant’s rights bill through the state legislature. The bill defines requirements for landlords, such as itemizing deductions on security deposits, giving 24-hour notice before entering a rented property, and setting a 30-day deadline for the return of security deposits.
“We had a lot of opposition from landlords. The proposed bill failed in 2007 and 2009 and so that was a really, really proud moment for us to say, ‘we did it,’” he said.
The Truman Scholarship will provide Ben $30,000 in funding to pursue a graduate degree.