Liesel Benjamin: Recipe for Succcess

The treacherous hike down four flights of stairs, across the long sidewalks of the drill field, and back to her dorm every single day remains just a part of the routine for Liesel Benjamin. Unlike most lazy college students, making sure she gets to the gym is an important part of her everyday life. “She is very good about working out every day even when everyone else is extremely lazy,” says her best friend Sarah. Being the active, motivated person she is, Liesel doesn’t let anything get in her way of getting the work done.

When Liesel was born on May 14, 1990, her mother, Nancy, knew that the name Liesel was right for her because “it had strong character with it.” As Liesel grew older and developed her own personality, her parents’ speculation of her becoming a strong, lively individual came true.

Liesel is best described by the people closest to her as gregarious, vibrant, and extroverted. She is committed to her morals and ethics and she stays true to them in an easy, comfortable manner. Growing up with three other siblings and a big, loud, loving, family, Liesel is used to being surrounded by people and is able to be herself in social situations.

An especially large influence in Liesel’s life is her Aunt Laurie. Liesel says that they are a lot alike in a fun, sarcastic, and energetic kind of way. “Strength, confidence, love, and caring for others that are dear to her. She has a heart of gold,” says Laurie in response to being asked what defines Liesel’s personality. Liesel’s mother also explains that, “She knows what she wants and has a great common sense about her.” Knowing what she wants and doing what she needs to do in order to reach her goals has made Liesel very ambitious and she works hard for all of her accomplishments, such as getting into Virginia Tech.

Her older brother, Andrew, says that her ability to take responsibility for herself illustrates her character. He also adds, “What you see is what you get when it comes to Liesel.” Having Andrew as an influence, Liesel explains that she admires his ability to not care about what others think about him and she tries to portray that in herself. Liesel says that “[Being able to be yourself] is something that is really important in life.”

As a friend, Liesel is always willing to help others work out their problems. Laurie adds, “She understands who she is and is confident about that person. It provides her an ability to look at other people and situations with great insightfulness.” She doesn’t like to see other people in any kind of trouble and truly cares about the ones around her. Liesel’s ability to laugh and to encourage a good time in almost every situation helps to make the people around her just as happy and optimistic as she is.

One thing that would surprise you about Liesel is that growing up she overcame problems with her weight. It never held her back and she even joined a crew rowing team to help stay active. A few years and about sixty pounds later, she has triumphed over this and is proud of staying healthy for so long. Losing the weight and keeping it off, has led to Liesel’s infinite love for nutrition, health, and working out.

Being active and eating healthy have both helped Liesel to “blossom into a beautiful young woman that was hidden before and just waiting to emerge,” says her mom. It has also inspired Liesel to work towards a possible career in nutrition and health.

Liesel’s older brother, Andrew, also reveals that, “She (Liesel) is constantly cooking at home.” She loves preparing and eating healthy foods and says that fruit and sushi are two of her favorites. Her favorite comfort food from home is her mom’s infamous chili and corn bread with a warm Ovaltine drink on the side. Her best friend, Sarah, exposed that even during beach week she and Liesel constantly watched the food network.

Not only is Liesel passionate about health and fitness, she shows the same dedication to her friends, family, and education. With her strong and outgoing personality, her mother says that “outsiders may view Liesel as very straight forward in manner and speech, perhaps surprising or even a little harsh.” But for those of you who will get to know Liesel, you will have to agree that Liesel’s bubbly personality makes her easy to talk to and fun to be around. Liesel loves to get to know all sorts of people and is not afraid to start up a conversation.

When asked to recall a fond memory of Liesel, her mother describes a time when she was “listening to her chatter a mile a minute while whipping up something delicious.” Two things that Liesel is excellent in doing: cooking up an appetizing, healthy meal and talking. Her mother even includes that as a child Liesel used to tell stories out loud to herself as she went to sleep.

Other than working out and cooking, Liesel enjoys going out with friends, seeing movies, shopping, and traveling. In the past, she has traveled to Germany, Italy, Greece, and Turkey. On top of being well traveled, Liesel can speak fluent German. Some day she hopes to set out to Japan and Australia to explore the different cultures.

When Liesel is discussing her future, she proclaims that she hopes to be successful and do what she is truly passionate about one day. On top of keeping devoted relationships with the people she cares about, being able to be independent is something that is important for Liesel. Her mom agrees that, “Liesel has a good game plan. She knows in her head what she wants for herself, and basically how to achieve her success.”
Liesel takes challenges and situations and works through them with pride and eagerness. Aunt Laurie concludes that, “She is enthusiastic about life, her family, and friends. She is passionate and fun to be with because you get the feeling that she's always engaged in the moment.” Liesel’s positive attitude, motivation, and sociability are all crucial ingredients in her recipe for success.

By: Mary Burton