Young Alumni Spotlight: Zachary Reese ’16

Young Alumni Spotlight: Meet Zachary Reese ’16

Do you mind sharing a favorite memory?

I look back on the night of my acceptance to Red Hot Blue, Goucher’s all-gender a capella group, with immense glee. After joining the other newly accepted recruits, and the entirety of Red Hot Blue, we drove to the Towson Diner, where we looked forward to future semesters together.

How do you stay connected to Goucher & fellow Gophers?

Many of my closest friends are former Goucher students, and many of my strongest mentors are Goucher professors—so I make a point to keep in touch with them. They attend all of the biggest moments, and I attend theirs. In addition to these informal connections, I’ve enjoyed working with the Admissions Office to interact with high school students in the Bay Area who are considering Goucher. I’ve also enjoyed working with the Alumnae/i Office to host a Gophers in the City event for young alums in San Francisco.

Why do you volunteer for Goucher?

Goucher transformed me. It was at Goucher that I developed self-esteem; grew to understand my racial, gender, and sexual identities; took control of my anxiety; and built many of my best relationships. I’m grateful to Goucher for facilitating my growth, and I want to help future gophers achieve similar growth. And as for why I attend and organize alumni events such as Gophers in the City—it’s just fun to meet peers! We were all drawn to Goucher, so we tend to have a lot in common.

Would you like to share a fun fact with us?

I just married my Goucher sweetheart! Ke’Aun and I met in Sondheim in June 2014, and we just got married on Goucher’s campus in August 2022. We had 16 Goucher alums at our wedding!!

Left to right: Shannon Finnell ’14, Penelope Durand ’17, Jake Newman ’16, Colin Harney ’19, Elisabeth Harvey ’15, Dante Del Terzo ’15, Katie Reed ’15, Alex Lappin ’15, Ke’Aun Charles ’15, Zachary Reese ’16, Kamryn Polastre Scott ’15, Liz Forest ’16, Adam Burston ’16, Elena Ippolito, Dara Crawley ’15, Shayna Meisel ’16