Beruk Sims

Academic Interests

Economics & Computer Science

Fun Fact

When my family returned from a trip to Ethiopia a few years ago, two stray cats sat on our back porch. Throughout a couple of weeks, we gained their trust and adopted them into our home. 

Since I was little, I have been helping at my mother’s Ethiopian Restaurant. I started as a cashier, standing on a milk crate because I couldn’t reach above the counter without it. As I got older, I started bussing, serving, and dishwashing. I started taking on more responsibilities, redesigning menus, dealing with stocking, and learning about how the business was operated. The summer before moving out to Duke, I also worked on the facilities team at my high school to learn some hands-on skills. I renovated classrooms, repainted walls, and completed landscaping projects. In high school, I had a deep passion for biology. In my senior year, I shadowed a senior bioinformatics specialist and conducted a capstone project based on my experience. I also gained lab experience completing basic tasks such as gel welding.

Coming to Duke, I knew I wanted to study STEM, and I quickly realized that economics was my subject. Having that foundation of growing up with a business in the family, I have always had an interest in business. I plan on studying economics with a minor in computer science. Obtaining a foundation in computer science would be valuable since many businesses and finance companies utilize computer programs. After college, I want to go into consulting to gain a wide variety of business experience and eventually open my own business. I am currently working at Duke’s Office of Economics as an office assistant. In my personal life, I enjoy playing basketball, cooking, going for runs, and spending time with friends. 

What do you like about being a SPIRE Fellow?

Being a SPIRE fellow has many benefits, but my favorite part is the community. The SPIRE community is very close and is essentially a family. There is a high level of support within the community. Additionally, since SPIRE are all STEM majors, being in a community of people with the same general interest but a wide variety of interests and majors is a great way to learn from others.