Zachary Kicenski

Zak lives with his partner in Richmond, Virginia, but was born and raised in Southern California. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English from UCLA, Zak decided to pursue a career in higher education, going on to receive a master’s degree in Educational Counseling from California State University, Bakersfield. In his career, Zak has worked in a wide range of higher education and student services areas, including student conduct, housing and residence life, DEI programming, and admissions. However, the position he held the longest and enjoyed the most was in Career Services at Nevada State College, just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada.

In this role, Zak learned that he had a passion for workforce development, and for helping people better their lives through career education. He loves that Merit America allows him to continue to pursue that passion, while also providing him the opportunity to work with learners from much more diverse backgrounds who may have felt excluded or left behind by traditional higher education.

Outside of work, Zak loves spending time with his partner Jordan, playing video games, and exploring the beautiful city of Richmond with friends.