“People always say ‘think outside the box,’ but what box? There is no box- you’re limitless.”
Name: Adam Berk
Year: Junior
Major: International Affairs
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Photo By: Lauren Alsina
Her Campus (HC): When did you first know that you wanted to pursue a career in law?
Adam Berk (AB): It actually dawned on me probably a couple months ago. My father had always told me that law was a great way to succeed in life. Whether you’d be a lawyer, whether you’d work for the government, whether you’d even become a professor. A lot of GRE (test takers) goes into a variety of fields. It isn’t really for the profit at the end of the day. It is for the problem-solving, critical thinking skills. Yeah, I think that’s basically it. Again, it offers a lot of opportunities and I think law school, and the teaching that it gives you, can go a long way in life.
HC: How do you plan on tying in your major, international affairs, with this pursuit in law?
AB: I’m not exactly sure what I want to study when I go to law school. Even if I did go to law school and I did graduate, hypothetical, I thought of joining the government in some fashion. I would love to work for the C.I.A. if that’s possible. I’ve already looked into that… some family connections there that I can use. But international affairs comes in because I’m fascinated with the science. A lot of people take the science for granted. It’s always an “easy” major or (they say) “international affairs is an easy major”, that’s definitely not the case. It requires you to take three semesters of language, which I took French. I can read French, speak a little Spanish, *laughs*, although not that well. But, it helps you connect with the bigger picture and I think that’s important. A lot of people should also think that’s important, but that’s just my opinion.
HC: Have you begun your process in applying for law school?
AB: Yes I have. I am going to be taking the course for the LSAT over the summer. My application process has already begun. It also ties into the internship as well. There is a family friend who’s actually going to be helping me pursue that career with some hands-on experience. I’ve also taken some other internships that relate to the law field that aren’t a law firm, just in the international business arena.
HC: Could you tell me more about this internship?
AB: This internship is with William Brady, a family friend for years, one of my sister’s best friends. He does family law, divorce law, paternity and child support and care. I think I wanted to do something out of the box and that was something that I was taught in high school. I went to a specific high school called Terra and they always had this expression: “What box?”. People always say think outside the box, but what box? There is no box- you’re limitless. And it definitely imposed upon me the belief to just go further always and to just look for different things.
Photo By: Lauren Alsina
HC: So, how did you get involved in Olympic lifting?
AB: That actually goes back to when I was around 15 years old. My parents were divorcing at the time and I needed an outlet. I think a lot of kids around that age go through puberty and it really does affect their mentality in what they’re involved in. I decided I wanted to physically look better and it’s good for mental health and kids go to the gym all the time, doing whatever they do. I got involved in Olympic lifting and bodybuilding; they go hand in hand. I thought of competing for a while but then I realized it wasn’t for me.
HC: How do you stay motivated or inspired?
AB: What inspires me the most would be my parents. My mother works day and night, from 5 to 9 to support both myself and my sister, who goes to the University of Florida and my father is retired now but worked every day of his life from 6 to 6 with various jobs. We struggle financially and I think being here at this school, a lot of people take for granted what they have. Being at such a prestigious institution even though someone would just call it a state school, I believe that any higher education is a better form of bettering yourself in the world. I think I just want to give back to them and their example that they’ve set.