Andrew Zerby, the first student to pursue Wilkes University’s 3+3 program with Penn State Law, has no objections to completing both his undergraduate and his law degree in only six years.
Zerby, a junior finance major from Beaver Springs, Pennsylvania, will spend only one more semester at Wilkes. He’s not graduating yet, but he is moving on to law school at Penn State with a full-tuition scholarship.
Under a unique accelerated program, Zerby will start law school at the end of his junior year. After his first year of law school, he’ll transfer a portion of those credits back to Wilkes to complete his bachelor’s degree.
Kyle Kreider, pre-law advisor and professor of political science, guided Zerby through each step of the admissions process. “I made sure all the I’s were dotted and T’s were crossed,” says Kreider. “That’s where the bulk of my mentoring came in, making sure he had everything lined up.”
Zerby also worked closely with his advisor Jennifer Edmonds, associate professor of business administration. “I expect my advisees to show up prepared. Because he is always prepared, it left a lot more time in our conversations to explore his interests,” says Edmonds. “The nature of the Wilkes community makes it easy to do that.”
Rigorous academics prepared Zerby for law school. The honors student credits economics class with providing a challenge and improving his focus, while English classes helped him refine his writing.
Zerby is also gaining real-world work experience updating talent bios as an intern with Special Guest, a Wilkes-Barre based entertainment booking company backed by entrepreneur Kris Jones and actor/comedian Damon Wayans Jr. “It helped me think in a way I’d be able to sell myself to law school.”
He makes a strong case for Wilkes University. “It’s a small campus with a lot of opportunities.”
Find out more about Wilkes University’s 3+3 Accelerated Bachelor/J.D. program with Penn State Law.
Read more student stories and learn about their experiences at Wilkes University.
