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

"She's Not Just A Pretty Face"

Tara's definition of OCD - Organized, Creative, Determined

By Jenny Walsh

Breeze blows through her long, brown ponytail as her heart pumps faster. The sound of each step on the pavement is all she hears. Running releases Tara's stress; it is her alone time. When she crosses the finish line of her cross-country race, a sense of accomplishment rushes through her. As her heavy breathing subsides and muscles begin to relax, Tara feels at ease. All her tension melts away with every drop of sweat that falls to the ground. 

Tara Elizabeth Sones was born April 3, 1990 to Karen and Randy Sones. At the time, Tara's parents, and older sister Steph, lived in Baltimore, Maryland. At the age of eight, Tara's family, now including younger brother Taylor, packed up and moved to Woodbine, Maryland where they still live today. 

Tara describes her family as, "Loud and outgoing. I am close with both my parents and my brother is my best friend." Tara's friend Alyssa considers Tara's family her second family. "She has a really good family... I am going to marry her little brother, and she's going to marry mine. Not really, but we say that," says Alyssa. Tara's parents expect their children to always try their absolute best and do as well as they did academically, socially, and independently. 

Tara considers her father her biggest role model. "He grew up very poor and supported himself throughout college. Now he supports a family and made it for himself," says Tara. Her greatest accomplishment so far in life is getting accepted to Virginia Tech and Penn State, where her dad attended school. She is also influenced by friend, Alyssa, because she works very hard at everything she does. Tara also inspires her friends. Alyssa says, "She is very determined and inspires me to work out and get good grades." 

At the age of eleven, Tara discovered she had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, when a person feels compelled to perform actions repeatedly. "She has problems with counting syllables... but she isn't psycho, I swear," says Alyssa. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be difficult and much worse than in Tara's case. "I mainly count things a lot and see everything in sections. When I go up or down stairs, I have to land on my right foot," says Tara. OCD is not really a problem, more so just something you have to get used to. This explains why some of her biggest pet peeves include odd numbers and when people lick their fingers. 

This "disorder" has nothing to do with defining Tara's character. She is described as selfless, responsible, intelligent, and "one of the most generous people I have ever met," says friend Ann. 

Tara does not pretend to be anyone she is not, nor does she care what other people think of her. She does what she wants and does not let anything stand in the way. Tara is the same around everyone, caring. 

She is also very organized. She organizes to relax, along with sleeping and taking showers. Her organization makes her unique. She is continuously well put together from her clean, decorated room, to schoolwork, hair, and clothes. At all times she tries to assist someone else and always goes out of her way to help a friend. Tara is a great person for many reasons including her ability to laugh and have fun. "She is never bored and always comes up with something to do," says her brother Taylor. 

Some of the most fun Tara and her friends have had include senior week and their trip to Florida this summer. Tara and three of her friends traveled to her house in Sanibel. Alyssa says, "It was so much fun, we went to the beach, pool, out to dinner, and just hung out with each other." Taylor says that some of the most fun he has had with Tara has also been at the beach just hanging out with her. He says, "She can be a little crazy and laughs uncontrollably when something unexpected happens." Alyssa recalls, "One of the funniest things I have every seen in my life. We were getting ready to go to a concert... Tara was really excited and ran around the corner, but slipped on water and completely wiped out." 

Tara is a very strong person, mentally and physically. She has played lacrosse for eleven years, participated in cross-country throughout high school, and played soccer when she was younger. She still loves to run everyday. "The other day I ran ten miles because I was stressed about my roommate," says Tara. 

Mentally, "Her strength in sticky situations is something I am very proud of her for," says Alyssa. She is always there for her friends and has gone through a lot with them. Tara has matured and now realizes herself that she is a strong person and can be independent. 

Tara aspires to major in Fashion Merchandising, Apparel Housing, and Resource Management. She chose to attend Virginia Tech because it was the only large university that was not too far away from Maryland with her major. Tara's goal is to work in the fashion industry and become a buyer for a company or a costume designer. When asked if she belongs to any clubs at Virginia Tech she replied, "Yes, I am a member of FMDS, Fashion Merchandising and Design Society, because it deals with my major." 

Creativity is another defining trait Tara encompasses. "She is really good at doing hair, makeup, nails, and picking out clothes. One time she did my toenails zebra... it was awesome," says Alyssa. 

While being away from home, she misses her dogs, brother, bed, own space, alone time, and mom's cooking. "My favorite food she makes is turkey chili," says Tara. Since Tara is from a small town, she misses the comfort of her high school, Glenelg, where every student knows every other student and a familiar face is only a step away. 

It's a good thing Tara likes to run a lot, as she loves any kind of chocolate. "She has a major weakness for chocolate," says Alyssa. "That's really the only weakness I can think of." Tara can get stressed and upset really easily over little things, but everyone does. She is a great person over all that loves to play lacrosse, run, shop, and enjoy the company of her friends. Tara values her friends, family, and education above all else. 

Tara is compassionate and altruistic. She is a wonderful person with many assets that make her who she is. Alyssa says, "One time she lost a pair of my earrings and bought me two new pairs, she didn't have to... but she did because she's that kind of friend." 

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