ZACK ZAPPONE
Princeton University, Master in Public Affairs with certificate in urban planning and policy
Georgetown University, B.A., American Studies

After finishing his undergraduate studies at Georgetown University, Zack moved back to Washington state for three years to improve the education system in rural eastern Washington. He taught English language, Art, and History, coached soccer, was an advisor for mock trial and youth legislature, and organized educational trips to Washington, D.C. He was selected for the Rural School Leadership Academy and nominated for a Sue Lehman Teaching and Learning Fellowship. He has studied abroad in Madrid and was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Colombia, where he taught at a university. The past two years Zack has been studying for a Master in Public Affairs with a certificate in urban planning at Princeton. His interest is in domestic policy with a focus on inequality and anti-poverty programs. Zack plans to move to Seattle to work for the local or state government after finishing his M.P.A. Zack is proficient in Spanish. He has previously led three Putney Community Service programs in Costa Rica, Peru, and Ecuador.

KATELYN SHEEHAN
Mount Saint Mary College, B.S., Human Services

While pursuing her undergraduate degree over 11 years, Katelyn lived in and adventured through more than 40 countries. She was a crisis intervention specialist and focused on anti-human trafficking efforts in the red-light district of Mumbai, India; went on to be a Department of State critical language scholar; and graduated with high honors in social work and Hindi linguistics. After an undercover brothel investigation in Pokhara, Nepal, Katelyn found herself decompressing on a hike in the Himalaya. There she discovered the healing power of wilderness and decided to shift her focus to wilderness therapy, in order to help people “find their passions, not prescriptions.” Katelyn now works as a wilderness and backcountry guide and responsible philanthropy consultant. She spends half of her year taking veterans with disabilities on healing, backcountry backpacking and mountaineering expeditions. The other half of the year she leads international trips for young adults in a variety of conservation, exploration, and global leadership pursuits. Recently she has led three young adult trips to Costa Rica. Katelyn also teaches wilderness emergency medicine and is certified as a whitewater and glacier guide. This winter she’ll return to India before starting her master’s in social work. Katelyn is proficient in Hindi, conversant in Polish, and learning Spanish.