Zack joined the Highlander Institute through an internship partnership with Brown University, where he is a current A.M. candidate in Urban Education Policy. During his assignment as research intern, Zack will focus both on exploring alternate ways to train and certify educators within the Rhode Island frameworks and context and developing strategies and digital platform solutions for observing, assessing, and supporting teachers in our community. Zack’s research will be centered on expanding and maximizing the quality of alternative certification pathways and streamlining the walkthrough and feedback processes for Educational Strategies Specialists and their cooperating teachers. Zack first developed his eagerness to explore these innovations as a traditional pathway program completer at the University of Rhode Island School of Education, where he also received his B.A. in Secondary Education and History. After completing his teacher preparation, he spent the last school year teaching Grade 6 Geography in the Fall River Public Schools, where he both attended school and worked as a substitute teacher during his undergraduate studies. In addition to teaching, Zack draws on his experience as an administrative associate for BMC Durfee Summer Programs and an audio-visual engineering supervisor for the district to inform his intuition about how urban districts function from multiple points of view. He continues to fuel his passions for teaching and studying history as a researcher and presenter at King’s Chapel, a national historic site on the Boston Freedom Trail. When he is not exploring topics in education, Zack enjoys performing and recording music, and he can be seen playing his guitar in local pit bands and at several venues in the South Coast. He also loves playing basketball and golf, networking in his community, and spending time at home with his four younger siblings.