Zachary Sheldon

“The first time that I saw Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,” says Zachary Sheldon, “and saw as the credits rolled that George Lucas had both written and directed the film, my life course was set: I wanted to be the next George Lucas.”

He adds, naturally, an apology and a reminder that this was “pre-Phantom Menace and I didn’t know any better.” This pop-culture sensibility and drive to succeed in multiple careers led Zack to his major at Geneva College—communications, with a concentration in integrated media.

The small campus and small concentration with the promise of individualized attention and the ability to be creative attracted Zack, as he has always enjoyed playing with possibilities. He started with iMovie in elementary school, and now he uses a Canon T4i camera, and works regularly with the Adobe Suite and Premiere Pro.

He holds two separate videographer and editorial jobs on campus, working with both Geneva’s Student Programs Organization (SPO), and at Geneva’s Public Relations Office. On the side, he tries to be as open as he can for consultation sessions with his friends.

Even his hobbies dovetail and blend into his career path, a sure sign that he’ll be doing what he loves for a living. His downtime is spent with creative writing and photography. Zack recently became the “face” of Geneva College through his series of “Fact or Fiction” vides, which answer the burning questions that face many prospective students.

Zack has advice he offers to those who find themselves about to start their college career: “You have to be constantly exploring and learning on your own. Your classes will teach and prepare you, but the more you can engage your own interests and bring those into the classroom, the more rewarding your experience will be.”

Post-graduation, Zack’s challenges involve a similar exploration. He would “love to work in media production or editing of some kind.” He’s also considering starting his own business.

Whatever the case, he hopes to grow his technical skills while “serving a greater purpose” through his work at a Christ-centered institution like Geneva—and to continue this God-honoring service after graduation.

“Whether that’s through creating a useful ad for a local client or conducting interviews for a corporation,” Zack says, “I want to be involved in actively and expertly communicating useful and important messages in an entertaining and interesting way to an audience.”

-Adam Rowe ’14