As Rice University prepares to celebrate the Class of 2025 at commencement May 9-10, Rice News is spotlighting a series of standout seniors.
At Rice, senior Zeisha Bennett found a way to combine two lifelong loves — fashion and photography — and turn them into something bigger than herself.
“After commencement, I’m going to be working downtown at Sanman Studios being a studio assistant and also pursuing other pathways of fashion and photography put together by engaging with other models and modeling agencies within Houston,” Bennett said.
Bennett, who will graduate with degrees in art and transnational Asian studies, arrived from Arizona with a vision and discovered both the freedom and the tools to shape it at Rice. Clubs like 6100 Main and inThread became creative playgrounds. RAW Photography, which she later led as president, helped her take fashion photography seriously. The Digital Media Commons at Fondren Library became a second home.
“It’s kind of embarrassing how many times I’ve been in there,” Bennett said.
Her passion for the visual world sharpened over time. She gravitated toward the small, everyday things — the glint of sunlight, the texture of dirt, the curve of a figure — and found ways to make them meaningful.
“Photography has been helpful to express those feelings, those great feelings, those wonderful feelings,” Bennett said.
It’s not just about what she made but who she became along the way.
“I was able to push forth my art and pursue it in a way that isn’t competitive or doesn’t have to be perfect. It could just be something,” Bennett said. “I’ve really thrived here. I feel like a little sunflower.”