Even at nine years old, Zach Chaney knew he had talent and wanted to learn to use it. Growing up in a rural area of Pike County, access to the arts was not always readily available. He remembers walking through the doors of Artists Collaborative Theatre (ACT) that first day and falling in love with theatre.  His first play was The Wizard of Oz. During the next nine years, he would take part in acting, tech work, co-directing, and stage-managing productions at ACT. Zach said he has lost count of how many shows he was a part of but knows it was a lot. He said, “I walked in on that first day not knowing what to expect, and I don’t think I walked out of that building until I graduated high school.”

At 18, Zach began his college career at the University of Kentucky. He originally intended to major in chemistry but began having second thoughts. He remembered his time with ACT and how they were partnered with Extension, part the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment. Community and Leadership Development seemed like a good fit and that is where he found his “second home.” During college, Zach also served as a member of the LGBTQ+ ministry at St. Paul Roman Catholic Church in Lexington.

Having graduated from UK in May, Zach has been accepted to law school at Ave Maria School of Law in Florida, where he plans to study environmental law. Zach gives credit the UK Extension Fine Arts Program and ACT with helping him discover his path in life. “Just having that expectation of being professional 100% of the time taught me how to network with people, and it taught me how to talk with people. Those are skills you don’t really get anywhere else,” he said.