Andrew Barrineau

Motivation to pursue a graduate degree at FSU

I reached a junction in my career in the Navy and the Intelligence Community where I would need to pick a path to go down, and that choice would shape what the rest of my career looked like--whether that was ten more years or thirty more years. I couldn’t see myself being fulfilled on any of those paths that I had to choose from. I made the decision to do something that was going to increase my options and lead me to fulfillment in the long term, even if those options took me outside of the Intelligence Community. I chose FSU because of the school's reputation for excellent student quality of life and access to professors.

Importance and/or impact of research and work

My upcoming time as a Florida Legislative Fellow is going to allow me to put my hands on issues that affect people in the state of Florida every day. But it isn’t just about the issues; it’s about the legislative process and the path that each issue takes as it moves from something that was once a constituent concern to becoming law in the state of Florida. Working inside that process will pay dividends as I help clients navigate similar situations when my time at the College of Law is finished.

Describe an aspect of your military service that is especially memorable or exceptional

I served in both the United States Marine Corps and the United States Navy. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work in an area that borders the line between civilian and military intelligence operations. Close coordination of all those collective resources allowed us to accomplish some important tasks from unique collection operations to hostage recovery operations.

Tell us how your military service provided skills and experiences that you were able to apply to your graduate studies

Stress is only as big as you let it become. Big things are easy to stress about, but small things are easy to accomplish. Take whatever your big stressor is and break it down into its smaller parts, then go after them one-by-one.

Career aspirations

I'm hoping to enter a law practice that is geared toward serving the needs of individuals and businesses as they navigate their way through civil disputes or government and regulatory issues.

Advice for anyone considering graduate school

Go into graduate school with a goal but also with an open mind. If you start your program and find something that you love to do, then go for it. Don’t lock yourself into something that won’t make you happy just because it’s what you thought when you started.

Accomplishments during graduate career

I am proud to serve as president of the Student Veterans Law Symposium as well as serve as a judge for the FSU Student Government Association Elections Commission. I'm also a student ambassador for the Office of Admissions and a participant in the intramural Trial Team competition. Lastly, I'm also currently a research assistant for one of my professors at the College of Law.