A Helping Hand – EC Student Spotlight on Britney Lamey

Written by: Roger Hermosilla Hinijo

Emmanuel College is known for its diversity among its student body. Students from across the world call our campus home during their four years of college.  Some come to Emmanuel for the college’s academic curriculum, others for its success across different athletic programs. However, a large population of our community seeks a combination of both when they decide to come to Emmanuel.

This was the case for Britney Lamey. Britney came to the U.S from Jamacia when she was 16 and fell in love with the sport of wrestling. After her high school athletic career, she decided to join Emmanuel College’s Wrestling program. “I got a scholarship to come to EC, which is what brought me here. When I got here, the fellowship and environment on campus felt like home,” she mentioned.

Lamey is completing a bachelor’s degree in Biology while she competes and participates in extracurricular activities. Precisely, her Jamaican heritage and culture brought her a unique opportunity on campus. 

“I started a yearly program on Cultural Diversity at Emmanuel College because I want to everyone to learn more about each other’s background and become more aware of the diversity on our campus,” she added.

“The first time I did something like this was at my church back in Miami, and it turned out to be a success,” Britney said. “My goal at EC is to connect different cultural backgrounds by things such as food, games, and music from each culture represented in campus,” she emphasized.

“We hope to host these events following Black History Month,” she said about the cultural diversity program. “We hope to allow students to explore the diversity of our campus” she added.

However, Britney’s role on campus does not stop with her participation in the arena or as a leader for student initiatives such as the one mentioned above. Also, she served as Vice President of the Student Senate last year, works at Shephard’s Hill Academy, and holds a position as a Resident Assistant (RA) in Jackson Hall.

“I came here (Emmanuel College) as an introvert, but my job as RA helped me to put myself out there to talk and connect with students” she mentioned. “I want to be able to pour into my girls spiritually and help them where they are maybe lacking” she added.

Her drive to help others is not going to stop after her years at Emmanuel College. Her goal is to keep impacting lives.

“My mom died when I was six years old and after that, I knew I wanted to be a nurse because I wanted to help people,” she shared. “I then want to put myself through medical school and become a Cardiothoracic Surgeon.”

Her personal experience encouraged her to impact others, but so have her professors at Emmanuel.

“Last semester I had Ms. (Nancy) Cobb for math, and I was having a hard time,” she mentioned. “By her telling me to push a little harder, I ended up with an A+ when I started the semester with a C,” she added.

“People genuinely care about you here. We want you to succeed, and it’s a strong belief on campus,” she emphasized. 

Britney, who was nicknamed “The Silent Warrior”, by her high school wrestling coach for having a different mentality on and off the mat, will continue to strive to help, and connect others through her experience and commitment to the community. In the end, helping people defines who Brittney Lamey is.