Intern Profile – Zachary Hodges

I’m the younger of two sons, an avid movie buff, experimental writer and a proud product of WCPSS.

I’ve lived in Fuquay-Varina my entire life, but I attended West Lake Elementary and Middle before going on to graduate from Fuquay-Varina High School. I was accepted to Appalachian State University in 2010, where I studied English and History. In the end, I stumbled out of the mountains into the real world with a double concentration in English – Creative Writing and Film Studies, with a minor in History.

I found out about WakeEd Partnership not too long after my graduation, and have been working as an intern for the group for a little over two months. I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. All I knew is that I had been offered a chance to continue writing in a professional atmosphere, so I took it. I was semi passionate about education policy since my mom has been teaching for nearly fifteen years.

When I first started working here though, I wasn’t sure that I would want to continue to be involved in policy research afterwards; but my mind is starting to change the further I fall down the rabbit hole. Education is now of the utmost importance to me, and being a part of an organization so dedicated to actually making a difference in the community has been a blessing.

Plus, the coffee’s free.

In the end, I would love to be working within the entertainment or publishing industry as a part of a writer’s association, or as a freelance contributor. But my work here at WakeEd has prompted me to look into possibly going back to school for literature or education – so, who knows? I’m open to opportunity, so long as I’m writing.

I recently got the opportunity to write, narrate and animate a video for WakeEd about teacher pay. Take a look at the video below.

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