Sooner or later, you’ll find a purpose. You may feel exhausted before then, sifting through the bellows of life’s deepest troubles. You’ve jumped out of your comfort zone, turning down opportunities that would’ve brought you closer to what you think you want. You’ll always doubt your decision making, we all do. But remain patient, steadfast in your morals, in your fears; you’ll be rewarded if you always choose what’s right for you. 

Mark Sadek has learned this over the past few years. He is a senior at the Honors College, concentrating in Biology, with the intent to study medicine in the future. Sadek is involved all over campus, from being Speaker of the House in Student Government to intramural sports to numerous clubs alike. But between the sweaty nights on the fields and the legislative discussions, Mark finds vigor in a well-known talent of his.

“I love acting,” Sadek says in a humble tone. “It’s such a passion, an everyday thing for me.” Starting in high school, Mark found love in being on stage. He acted throughout high school, including professionally in theatre troupe, but didn’t think it would lead to anything. He had no professional training after all, yet Sadek realized he was continuously winning awards at each level for his exploits. He stuck with it. 

Entering college, Mark succeeded academically but had trouble finding something that aligned with his dreams in front of the camera. He was auditioning for anything and everything he could, even being casted in a few roles, but something wasn’t sitting right with him. “At first, the [boundary] was nonexistent; I wanted a role so bad. But then I asked myself: Who am I? What do I stand for? So, I started cutting back.” Being at odds with his desire to act, Mark found it difficult to stop auditioning for any role he found. However, as the old adage goes, less is more. “Right when I did that, I landed Black Adam.”

The newest in DC Universe’s superhero films, Black Adam stars movie and real life giant Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan and countless others. Sadek played as a second lead in the film for the character Amon Tomaz. “I was only supposed to be a little extra for three days, but they saw something in me and bumped me up to the main cast,” Sadek explains, still expressing disbelief on his face. “I actually lived my dreams… [that] is where I want to be for the rest of my life,” Mark asserted, reminding himself of his on-set realization.

Mark went on to tell us some hilarious and rewarding moments he had with his co-stars. From making “DJ”, as Sadek would call Dwayne Johnson, laugh to being held on-screen by Brosnan to occasionally grabbing lunch with Noah Centineo and Mohammed Amer, Mark was suddenly a colleague and, more importantly, a friend with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Sadek had an especially noteworthy moment on the last day of filming with Johnson. “The Rock pulled me to the side and told me ‘Hey Mark, I just want to let you know, your work here today was amazing and I’m super proud of you,” Mark told us with eyes so wide they barely stayed in his head. “And that was it, he walked away and I’m telling you I cried all the way home!” Mark said recalling his overwhelming experience. “Someone who is the biggest in the game told me, they were proud of me.”

Although this role could be the launching pad of his career, Sadek doesn’t want the fame or the money attached to his name, but rather the influence that comes with it. He talks about his love of just talking with people, how he likes to build them up or help them push through hard times. “Not a lot of people even know this but my dream’s dream is to be the host of the Late Night show like Jimmy Fallon. Oh my gosh, I could cry my eyes out just thinking about it!”

Obviously, Mark likes to cry when he’s overwhelmed.

He told us about his craving for conversation and how he believes “words can hold such value,” especially when they’re from someone you trust. This is what resonated most about Mark, and why he is our Student Spotlight. He believes in others’ well-being, even when he is unsure of what’s to come for himself. A perfect example of this is when Sadek was dubbed “Freshman Mark” in his first year at Wilkes, and became viral across FAU social media overnight. “I told myself [coming into college] I’m going to make friends and be known, in a good way,” Mark starts. “So I went to PetSmart, bought 20 goldfish, then during the first week of school, I knocked on every door in my dorm hallway and handed each person a pet fish and offered to help pay for their maintenance.” The goldfish offering helped him get out of his comfort zone and connect with more people; three years later, Mark has so many people he wants to talk to, so many stories to share, that he’s thinking about hosting not his first, but his second podcast where he can deep dive into people’s lives. 

In typical Mark fashion, he’s going to spend the next 18 months pushing himself further towards both his dreams. “I’m going to pursue acting for a year and see if it kicks off. Then during that year, I’m going to study for and take the MCAT.” That feels like an incredibly difficult year to cope with, but as we learned about Mark, that’s just a drop in the ocean for someone with his potential.

While that grueling year awaits, however, Mark is continuing his impact on campus. The legislation he and the Student House are writing will raise the Honors College to even higher standards, and his desire to learn in the classroom will keep him and classmates engaged. Most of all, any one who comes into contact with him will have these moments, no matter how small or big they are, where they’ll feel Mark’s desperation in spreading love and building legacy. 

“Black Adam was an experience of a lifetime, and I’m so grateful for it.”