Zachary Troese takes great pride in his alma mater. He always has, long before he enrolled at PennWest Clarion.

“My family has lived here for generations; our roots are here. The university has always been such an important piece of the town,” he said. “It’s the heartbeat of the town.”

Troese will graduate Dec. 13 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. With his PennWest degree, Troese carries not only the academic prowess to succeed in the master’s program he will pursue, but also skills of leadership, time management, communication and teamwork that he’s built through extensive involvement in student organizations.

He was selected to address his fellow graduates at commencement; his topic will be personal growth.

Troese had hardly begun his freshman year when he was invited to a meeting of Clarion’s University Activities Board. During the first meetings of UAB – the mission of which is to build community and involvement among the student body by extending the Clarion experience outside of the classroom – he learned that several members were seniors who would be graduating and were looking for underclassmen to take on the positions they held. That included the public relations and marketing chair, who approached Troese and offered to mentor him in the role.

“When I went to the first meeting, I didn’t know what they did,” Troese said. “Within a few meetings, I had become the public relations and marketing chair.”

Among other programming responsibilities, he was responsible for Activities TV.

“It was such a fun job that I’m really proud of. I made weekly videos for nearly four years. It helped me broaden my horizons, meet people and make myself known,” he said.

That was just the start. Over the years, Troese continued to spread his wings. He was president of UAB, sang in the Clarion Choir and was a member of homecoming court during his junior and senior years. He was on the staff of the Clarion Store and was board chairman of Clarion Students’ Association.

Just as important as the extracurricular activities was his academic experience. After initially declaring history education as a major, he changed majors a few times, exploring various subjects.

“Two years ago, I landed on psychology. I decided that I wanted to be in the school system, but not as a teacher,” he said. “I’m pursuing becoming a guidance counselor. I want to help kids out and help prepare them for the future.”

Typical for Troese, he thoughtfully pursued experiences that would fortify what he learned in the classroom.

“I can paint a picture in my head, but it will only be as accurate as my experiences,” he said. “I just finished a field study at North Clarion High School. It got me in the field, in that environment, to see what a guidance counselor does,” he said. “They do so much. It’s a busy job, but I really liked it.”

Troese said the field study solidified his decision to become a guidance counselor.

“It’s a vital role in a student’s life. I want to help kids figure out what they want to do and become better versions of themselves,” he said. “I want to be able to look back on my life and say I helped people. That’s really important to me.”

Troese anticipates beginning a master’s degree program next fall. In the interim, he plans to work in the field of psychology to gain further experience. Looking ahead, he hopes to find a guidance counselor opening that will enable him to stay nearby.

“My family is here, my friends are here. I want to travel, but I don’t have prospects to live far away,” he said. “I’ll go where the job opening is.”