With decades of experience in law, grant funding, photography, and crafts, some might call Penny Baskin a jack-of-all-trades.
Born and raised in Columbia, Baskin’s career started with humble beginnings as she applied at Roses Discount Store in 1967.
“It was my first real job, and I made $1.19 an hour,” Baskin said. “Eventually I got a raise to $1.29!”
Baskin attended the University of South Carolina, where she earned a degree in criminal justice. With an interest in law and the inner workings of state government, she enjoyed 12 years working at the SC Court of Appeals. She stayed in the legal field after that, becoming a certified paralegal.
“I decided I wanted to work with a lawyer,” Baskin said. “I told him, ‘I don’t have any experience, so you’ll have to train me.’ He just threw me into the pot, so to speak. It was sink or swim.”
In 2004, she returned to state government and took a position as an accounting tech in the Office of Financial Services at the Department of Public Safety. Her tasks included filing the agency’s various grants, working on special projects, and networking with sub-grantees.
“It’s been a learning experience,” Baskin said. “If you’ve been at the same job for years and it hasn’t grown or changed in some way, you need to look for another line of work. And here at DPS, my work is always changing.”
The highlight of Baskin’s work is interacting with sub-grantees across multiple law enforcement agencies. For her, work is not strictly about earning a paycheck, but connecting with others on a day-to-day basis.
“I’m proud of the rapport I have built up with the sub-grantees,” she said. “It goes back to them —they’re a big reason I’ve been here for so long. It’ll be hard to let go of that.”
Along with her full-time job at DPS, Baskin also managed a part-time business called Signature Photography for 28 years.
“I started out doing product photography, then festivals, weddings, and special events,” she said. “It kept me busy, which I liked.”
In 2019, Baskin’s health took a turn when doctors diagnosed her with a rare form of cancer called Leiomyosarcoma, which had metastasized to several areas across her body. She is currently undergoing experimental treatment that has prevented any further spread of the disease.
“Never once did the doctors ever refer to it as ‘cancer’ to me,” Baskin said. “They said ‘lesions’ instead. Nobody wants to hear the word ‘cancer.’”
Due to her health issues, Baskin made the difficult decision to give up her hobbies of photography and jewelry-making. However, she has taken up machine embroidery — an activity that has played a huge part in her recovery process.
“I give the quilts away,” she said. “If someone wants it, I give it to them —cancer patients especially. I always finish a quilt, and then start another.”
Baskin recently decided to retire, rounding out her 33 years of work in state government. However, she is hopeful in what the future holds for her.
“I’m going to miss the interaction with my coworkers,” Baskin said. “I’m closing this door, but I know that others will open.”
