I walked into Fordham’s favorite off-campus coffee shop and was immediately greeted by the familiar smells of espresso and warm bread. I headed towards a small table in the shop’s back right corner as the pumpkin-spiced air settled in around me. It felt like ages since I’d talked to her.
Amy Herd, FCRH ’25, was one of the first people I met at Fordham, and is still one of the coolest. She ordered an iced mocha while I ordered an iced vanilla latte, and we sat down to talk. “Prince is the best place to tell secrets,” she said in her usual candor. And so that’s what we did.
30 minutes passed before I finally remembered why I asked to meet in the first place. Herd is one of those people who you can talk to about anything. Her self-described “grunge meets pre-professional” style is equal parts comforting and authoritative. She fits right in with the dark wood and decor of the coffee shop, which she takes pictures of on her phone as we settle in to chat.
“Let’s start with the basics,” I began. “Name, pronouns, major and minor?”
“Amy Lee Herd. Any pronouns. International studies and history double major with a minor in Russian, which sometimes gets me called a spy at parties.”
Herd’s Russian minor does have a lot to do with her interest in Eastern European politics, but I promise she isn’t a spy. As a member of the Ukrainian diaspora, she decided to join the Ukrainian Society at Fordham and is now on the Executive Board. Herd has also written extensively on Ukrainian geo-political issues for the Fordham Political Review and the Fordham Undergraduate Law Review, both of which she is also an E-Board member.
Herd’s interest in Eastern European politics not only stems from her personal connection to the region, but also from the fact that the war in Ukraine is “one of the most important geo-political issues of our time,” she said. “Even though I don’t have immediate family there, it’s still something I think about every morning when I wake up. It’s not something that just goes away when you close your news tab.”
Herd has always been interested in a career in law and explained how the war in Ukraine cemented her desire to become an international human rights attorney. “I’ve always wanted to do something that helps people. When the invasion began, it was clear there was going to be a lot of need for humanitarian efforts.” Following the start of the invasion, Herd picked up her Russian minor to improve her Russian language skills, “which are far less developed than my Ukrainian ones,” she said. “Because of the language distribution in Ukraine, it’s important for my career path that I can speak both.”
Although Herd won’t graduate law school for a few years, she says that “this issue isn’t going away. There are so many people that need to be held accountable for their actions, especially in the international circuit.”
More specifically, Herd wants to be an advocate for victims of the invasion, something she is already working towards as an undergraduate. She spent the past summer researching different historical accounts of the pre-Christian period in Kievan Rus’ and studying for the LSAT. She is continuing to hone her legal skills this semester as an intern at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York, where she works with the Public Correction Unit. She is also engaged with an initiative in U.S. embassies to help Ukrainian students apply to American universities and “demystify” college life in the States for international students.
Herd’s impressive academic endeavors keep her busy, but she’s also still a regular college student. She listens to bands like Interpol and the Smashing Pumpkins. She loves visiting the East Village to thrift and snack on comfort foods at the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant. Some of her favorite movies are “The Piano Teacher” and “The Color of Pomegranates.” I asked if I could plug her Letterboxd in the article. She said no.
“Okay, okay,” I said, laughing off her last quip, “tell me about your weekend plans.”
“Well it’s my birthday weekend, so Friday I’m going to go down to the East Village with some friends. I won’t say where exactly because I don’t need that published,” Herd trailed off with a laugh. The festivities continued on Saturday as Herd celebrated with a “sort of pre-Halloween-themed party” where guests were encouraged to dress “a little witchy.” As a big proponent of dark colors and autumnal motifs, the spooky theme aligned perfectly with Herd’s style.
It’s clear that there is dedicated thought and emotion behind Herd’s style, and that dedication extends to nearly everything in her life. Her interest in international politics and human rights law truly speaks to Herd’s desire to help others in her daily life and beyond. Her career goals are impressive, but ultimately more than feasible for a person like Herd. Between her obvious intelligence, perseverance and quick wit, I know that she will do great things, and I, for one, can’t wait to see what she has in store.
