Zachary faced the hardships of poverty and homelessness throughout school, but with the help of School on Wheels he held on tight to the one thing in his life he could control—his education. His mother passed away just before his senior year, leaving Zachary and his brother on their own. His great loss only strengthened his resolve to succeed academically. As a Bridgewater State University Scholar, he earned a 4.0 his first semester and is spending his sophomore year studying at Kyungpook National University in South Korea.