Sabrina Zarco '12, Commercial Litigation Attorney

WHAT WARMS YOUR HEART WHEN YOU THINK OF YOUR TIME AT SCHECK HILLEL?
To know that the friends I made at Hillel are my best friends today, 15+ years later.

 

I remember Senior Skip Day, when all the seniors showed up to school in beach theme and flip flops with water guns and floaties, definitely causing chaos so Mr. Magidson kicked us out of school for the day (as planned). We all went to the parking lot to continue messing around, at which point Mr. Magidson came again to make us leave. We started spraying him with our water guns and he just stood there, laughed, and took it like a champ. We have a picture to prove it.

I have too many teachers to thank, all of whom I give the utmost credit for my development as a student and a person: Mrs. Cooper and Morah Agam (1st grade), Mrs. Silverman (2nd grade), Mrs. Sweet and Mrs. Weiner (4th grade), Mr. M (5th grade), Mrs. Kapnek (6th grade), Mrs. Fishbein (7th grade), Mrs. Shenkman (8th grade), and my high school dream team: Mrs. Benhamou, Morah Saada, Mr. C, and Mrs. Slapak. I must also thank my many coaches who supported me/us through every win and loss. Special shout-out to Coach Lyon, Mr. Magidson, Larry Rosen, and Amy Lee. I am always nostalgic about Hillel sports.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR TIME AT SCHECK HILLEL HAD AN IMPACT ON YOUR ADULT LIFE AND YOUR CHOICES? HOW SO? Absolutely. Hillel provided me with strong Jewish values and a deep connection to Israel. It also emphasized the value of family, friendship, and community. Providing me with the opportunity to successfully juggle academics, sports, student government, and other extracurricular activities, Hillel taught me the time management skills necessary to today succeed personally and professionally.

I graduated from Emory University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Human Health. After graduation, I took a gap year in which I interned with a state court judge in Miami and a medical malpractice defense attorney while simultaneously studying for the LSAT and applying to law school. In May 2020, I graduated from the George Washington University Law School.

I am an attorney at Berger Singerman LLP, practicing general commercial litigation. The exposure to the courts that I received during my year “off” made me excited to join a strong legal community that successfully solves problems and helps others.

The most rewarding aspect of being a lawyer is realizing the impact we have on our clients. People come to us to solve their personal, professional, and/or financial problems and they depend on us to make them as whole as we can. It is still early on and I am in the process of figuring out exactly what I am passionate about, but generally speaking I strive to give the best client service. A simple “thank you” or “you have no idea how much I appreciate this” from a client goes a long way. Also, it feels good to learn something new and be challenged every single day.

Work hard, play hard, and smile. Live each day with focus and appreciation for that day. Because “one day, you’ll feel nostalgic for this moment.” (Quoted from Marissa Zarco Hoffman ‘07).