COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina awarded a posthumous degree to Samantha Josephson during Saturday's commencement ceremony.
Josephson's family received her degree on her behalf. A seat in the first row draped in regalia was reserved in memory of Samantha and other students in the Carolina family who lost their lives this year.
Josephson was supposed to have gotten her undergraduate degree in political science, then start law school at Drexel University in the fall.
Those plans came to a tragic end after Josephson was kidnapped and killed after getting into a car police believe she mistook for her Uber outside a Five Points Bar.
Her death led to calls for greater security with ridesharing service, both from the companies but also passengers. USC President Dr. Harris Pastides, while announcing Josephson's degree Saturday, asked students to pledge that they would ask Uber or Lyft drivers "what's my name" before getting in, to make sure that they were entering the correct car.
The South Carolina legislature passed a law this session which requires rideshares to put their license plate number in the front of the vehicle. That bill is named after Josephson.
USC also partnered with Uber for a new safety awareness campaign that was rolled out nationwide. Riders will now receive a push alert reminding them to check their vehicle to make sure it's the proper one. USC also created a new dedicated pickup zone in Five Points for students.