Meet one of the chicest men on campus, Adam Lewis. He is truly a Renaissance Man, with majors in economics, markets and culture as well as international studies. But if that’s not enough he is also a double minor in business and Chinese language. With a passion for education, Lewis has no plans to stop after his bachelor’s degree. He is currently debating between a graduate’s degree in business or law.
Recently, Lewis and I meet to chat in the Fondern Library Starbucks. The relaxed environment allowed us to chill in armchairs, really get to know each other and dive straight into some goofy questions:
I started by asking, “Are you more of a hunter or a gatherer?” Lewis had no hesitation in his response, “Hunter – I go after whatever I want, and get it because I will do whatever it takes. I have a leadership personality. I am a go-getter, type A. I’m kind of a douche and I attribute that to being a Leo,” he says, oozing with confidence and the ability to draw in an audience.
We transitioned to my next question, “What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?” I ask this because it is so basic but at the same time totally personal. As a college student we rarely get time to ourselves. Those few minutes spent in an empty car allow us to be alone. Lewis takes this time to be himself, whether that means belting out song lyrics, or just checking out of the social sphere. He uses those minutes alone to reflect on relationships, his social life, and people in general. It’s an unplugged time, where he can plan his week or think about nothing at all.
As a student at SMU, opportunities to make connections and build valuable relationships are continually extant. Next I asked, “What do you think makes the ‘most successful’ people?” As a people person who has clearly built his social web at SMU, his answer was very touching.
“Whoever can help the most people, with the most challenging issues, to fix a hard problem that affects the lives of others is how I define success,” Lewis said. “Success is different from fame. I would rather be successful for helping others than famous for something self-seeking.”
An example Lewis gave was Mark Cuban. He described Cuban as an idol, not because of his personal success, but because of what he has given back. Mark may be a “famous” multi-million dollar businessman, but to Lewis he is successful because he re-introduced the idea of entrepreneurship to America. Through the television show Shark Tank, Mark inspires and teaches others his mastery skills in entrepreneurship- most of which simply depend upon making himself available to make relationships with others who are putting in hard work.
A lot of success stems from luck, being in the right place at the right time, but more so knowing the right people. I asked, “How lucky are you?” Now, I know that is a vague question, but that was my intent. I wanted to hear his interpretation.
“I think I am 90, no 92 percent lucky,” Lewis said. “I would grade myself an A- in luck. I am blessed with family and friends, opportunities, enough money, and I’m emotionally and mentally healthy. I’m what you call ‘balanced’. I know if I work for something I can make it happen, and not everyone can say that. I think if you have all that going for you, that’s luck.”
I then switched to a more light-hearted tone. “If you were a box of cereal, what would you be?” And he quickly answered “Raisin Bran,” but I was not convinced. “You’re too cool to be Raisin Bran,” I said.
“I don’t view myself as that cool,” Lewis said. “Raisin Bran is good and healthy; you know Kashi, that’s healthy. but it doesn’t taste good. I’m not Kashi. I’m not dirt but I’m also not a sugary guy. Maybe I’m more Honey Nut Cheerios, no Frosted Chex. See, I’m not a basic bitch, but I’m also not too crazy.”
If you haven’t caught on, talking with Lewis is fun. He really thinks about his answers and always has a lot to say. In fact, he almost has too much to say. So when I asked him, “Say you’re dead- what would your eulogy say about you?” his answer was no surprise. “Finally he shut the hell up” is what Lewis believes his gravestone might bare. And, “we gather here today to remember a man who never knew when to shut up. Whether it be dropping the f-bomb in front of kindergarteners or telling you about your surprise birthday party, there never was a dull or quiet moment around him,” might be the speech given as they lower his casket.
We had a great time laughing obnoxiously in the library. His personality sparkles and people can’t help but turn to see who is hollering about the time he and 30 of his closest friends went to Vegas to celebrate his 21st birthday. If you get the chance to meet Lewis or see him around campus, I dare you to stop and say hi. I promise you will not regret it.
So I’ll leave you with one last glimpse of him. If you presented him with a bowl of grapes, half purple and half green, he would always go for the green first.
“I don’t like my fruit old,” he said. “Something about a green gritty grape just seems fresher to me.”