15 Minutes with Andrew Bertka interviewed by Derek Swartzlander

Icon: You graduated from Bluffton in 2019. What have you been doing since then?
A couple things have started in my life. College is one of the biggest changes to happen to me. The change in class structure and the atmosphere is levels above what it was in high school. I have also started working with a friend of mine from work, Gregus Smith, at Schoolhouse Electronics. I have been very thankful for the work he has provided for me to help my way through college.

What’s something that you’ve always wanted to learn?
How to play the acoustic guitar. I love how the instrument sounds and how fun it looks to play. I enjoy listening to music, as a lot of people do, but I think it would be fun to just relax with some friends and see what we can create together with our respective instruments.

Tell us about your pets.
I have a dog, Charlie, and she is a Golden Doodle. She is very energetic and whenever she sleeps on the couch, she lays as any human would do, which is always funny to see. She loves anyone and everyone she sees and is always happy to meet new people.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Iceland.

Iceland?
Yes, I've always wanted to visit the famous hot springs they have. Hot springs look so relaxing  and with how much I love hot tubs, I'm sure I would love the hot springs just as much if not more. The second place is Colorado for the same reason as hot springs. They have very nice resorts based around hot springs that would be a blast to visit.

What is your dream job?
To become a professional Counter Strike Global Offensive player. Counter Strike is my favorite video game that I play with my friends. The community that it has built is awesome and I would love to be able to get into that somehow, some way in the future.

What would you do if you won the lottery?
I would invest quite a bit of it into crypto and other stocks. I would build a small house right outside Bluffton and pick up some fun hobbies. I would buy a Tesla, and I would plan to volunteer a lot.

Do you have a favorite board game?
Pokemon Master Trainer. Why? Because I love Pokemon, and the game is a throwback to the beginning of Pokemon. When I play it with my friends, it brings back a lot of memories that Pokemon has given me. Plus Pokemon is just awesome.

Are you a summer person or a winter person?
I would say I prefer summer because I get to work more during that time of year and summer break. But, I love the weather during the winter, so it's a hard question for me. But, summer is my final answer.

Can you name a couple Bluffton teachers who inspired you?
Ryan Dunlap has been someone I have looked up to since I met him in first grade. It started as me being super excited for him to be my basketball coach, and I would count down the years until I got to play for him.

When 7th grade rolled around, I finally got to play for him and it was the best basketball season I ever had. Coach Dunlap made us a much better team, but more importantly he focused on making us better people.

What's your advice for high schoolers?
If you are not a math whiz like myself, if you have the opportunity to take any accounting classes in high school, take it. I am not a fan of accounting and I wish I would have taken the accounting class Mr. Herr provided. So like, take accounting if you can in high school.

Thanks for talking with us.