According to the Bible, excelling in life is a way to foster personal growth, open doors for various opportunities and embody God’s teachings to become a servant to the Lord. To Liz-Marie Bennett, a third-year economics student from Palm Beach by way of Spanish Town, Jamaica, excellence is an essential virtue in her life.
Born into a family of four on July 2, 2004, in New Rochelle, New York, Bennett has been ambitious about social change and her Christian faith since birth. Growing up, Bennett knew she wanted to impact the world through excellence and grace, as her parents instilled in her.
“If I’m going to do something and call myself a Christian, I can show how God has blessed me and do my best at it,” Bennett said.
After growing up in New Rochelle, Spanish Town and Palm Beach, Bennett had plenty of cultural experiences and changes in her life. These experiences shaped her career path to study economics in hopes of positively impacting the economic landscape of Jamaica to support her family.
Admittedly, Bennett did not know much about FAMU or HBCUs in general. However, since attending FAMU, Bennett has made her mark on the School of Business and Industry as a high-achieving economic scholar and at Gethsemane Missionary Baptist church as a praise and worship team member.
“I love singing, and I will always sing in church wherever I go; that will always be on my side,” she said.
According to Bennett, extracurriculars, like Scholars of Finance and the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, have taught her to be more social and appreciate company more. “I used to be independent because I was afraid to become dependent on people, but extracurriculars made me realize it’s OK to want to be with my friends,” Bennett said.
Joseph Cepeda, a second-year social work student, shared similar sentiments, saying Bennett encouraged him to be more social. “She’s a very great energy to have around. You can always feel her presence,” he said.
Bennett also expressed interest in learning more about African American culture while simultaneously embracing her Jamaican heritage on campus with the Jamaican American Student Association. She finds the blend of cultures comforting and essential to her identity. However, being multicultural, she’s struggled to balance the two identities.
“Whenever I introduce myself to somebody, I don’t know where to start,” she said. “It’s weird because I am an American who grew up here, but there’s still a lot of things I identify with. But now, I embrace every aspect of it; I am a mosaic of my experiences,” Bennett said.
Now, Bennett is excited to start her internship with Amazon in Seattle as a financial analyst in 2025. She is incredibly proud of herself, as she overcame many obstacles and insecurities through the selection process, especially as a Black woman in a white male-dominated field. With this internship, Bennett hopes to gain professional experience in the realm of economics that she can apply to her career.
Isley Mitchell, a third-year criminal justice student and Bennett’s roommate, also expressed her happiness for her roommate. “I’ve seen her go through so much, so I am beyond proud of her,” Mitchell said. “If anyone deserves this, it’s definitely Lizzie,” she added.
In the future, Bennett is determined to give back to the communities that shaped who she is and her journey, especially Palm Beach, which she calls home. “I’m not going to abandon anywhere I came from because so many people have poured into me,” she said. “I want to give back to Delray Beach, Atlantic High School and Milagro Teen Center specifically,” Bennett said while reminiscing on her hometown.
But for now, Bennett is satisfied with her life and continues to be optimistic through her faith, believing in God’s divine timing and prioritizing her happiness. “Right now, I’m just enjoying life, but if I seek the kingdom, He’ll lead my steps,” she said.