Alumni Spotlight on Peninah Benjamin '16

As the Outstanding Senior for her graduating class, Peninah Benjamin '16 represents all of the best characteristics of a Shorecrest student: leadership, scholarship, mentorship, service, and resilience. Per Shorecrest tradition, she was invited to deliver the Commencement address to the Shorecrest Class of 2026. 

While at Shorecrest, Peninah embraced new opportunities with curiosity and humility, including "stumbling" into the sport of sailing for the first time as a 9th grader, which led to being a National Championship sailor by senior year. A decorated cross country runner since seventh grade, Peninah found community and leadership through athletics. "I love being a part of a team," recalled Peninah. 

Known for her kindness and positive attitude, as much as for athletic accomplishments, she is remembered as someone who always made sure the younger athletes felt included and supported.

Peninah was one of the first members of the Shorecrest Honor Council, the elected student group that works to uphold personal and academic integrity on campus. She was a member of the National Honor Society, pursued the rigorous Global Scholars Initiative, and had a passion for math. Retired math teacher Dave Field, who upheld notoriously high standards, recalled, "I would usually grade Peninah’s paper first as a check to make sure my solutions were correct." 

Peninah's unwavering commitment to others is a common thread in her life from Shorecrest to the present. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of seven, Peninah has invested years teaching children how to manage their diabetes through AYUDA - American Youth Understanding Diabetes Abroad - with much of her work and advocacy - done entirely in Spanish - working with communities in the Dominican Republic. 

Peninah went on to attend Dartmouth, which she chose while in search of a climate that experienced all four seasons. "I love nature and being outdoors," she shared. So much so that she took on the challenge of The Fifty her senior year - a legendary 54-mile hike along the Appalachian Trail from Dartmouth’s Moosilauke Ravine Lodge back to campus.

While in college, she continued the path she'd blazed as someone who explores opportunities. Peninah sailed for the Ivy League’s Big Green, joined the Club Triathlon Team, researched for the Political Violence Lab, and actively participated in Hillel. 

When asked about her path of study, Peninah shared, "I was undecided for a long time, and tried classes I found interesting. That is something I've learned - that you don't have to have it all figured out right away." After following her curiosity among different subjects and topics, she ultimately majored in Economics and Human-Centered Design and minored in Spanish, and was a Leadership Fellow for the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy at Dartmouth. 

During her junior year she studied abroad in Madrid, and also spent time working in San Francisco as a Dartmouth Fellow at Close Concerns, a diabetes research and advocacy organization. Over college summers, Peninah interned with Putnam Associates, a premier strategy consulting firm dedicated to the global life sciences industry. She joined Putnam as an Associate Consultant upon graduation from college in 2020. Over the last 6 years she has ascended to the role of Manager, helping to guide their value, pricing, and access strategy in the United States and internationally. 

Graduating college at the height of COVID delayed her dream of extensive international travel, but she is now making up for lost time. Moving to London a few years ago, Peninah ran the 2025 London Marathon. She is currently on sabbatical from Putnam just having spent several months solo-traveling in Australia and Southeast Asia, and now back to St. Petersburg so she may share her time and experience with the class of 2026. 

When asked about her advice for current Shorecrest students, Peninah reflected, “You don’t need to have everything figured out - stay open, stay curious, and trust yourself enough to take chances before you feel fully ready”,