.103 Zach Shinske

Zach and I knew each other throughout most of college, however, it wasn’t until we found ourselves traveling to Israel together during our senior year that I feel our friendship really took off. Literally at the airport I could tell Zach was a hoot, with an incredible giggly laugh that I adore and a wonderful sense of humor in general. Matching that with his teddy bear-like personality and innate curiosity made me quite happy and grateful to be friends, and it’s been fantastic ever since.

Zach not only is a friend; he’s a former roommate as we spent over 2 years living together in Manhattan. He was always there to listen to me rant and to talk about anything at all, from the queer community to tv shows to serious discussions about both of our careers. Zach stands out for so many reasons, but one in particular is that he was emotionally there for me during one of the hardest moments of my life. With his deep empathy and compassion, he was able to get me to talk (while he listened intently) and ultimately helped me out of and through a tricky situation. Not everyone could have done that. Zach truly is loyal and trustworthy and he so clearly puts his friendships at the top of his priority list, always making time to be there, to listen, to laugh, and to cry; whatever it is that you need.

Zach, thank you so very much for being in my life now, and always. Thank you for always making me laugh and for laughing at my insane noises and jokes. Thank you for not being afraid to have some difficult discussions and for educating me on so many topics. Thank you for your honesty and for your diligence — the unrelenting drive you have in regard to your career is inspiring. Thank you for being such a supportive person to (literally) come home to at the end of the day, and thank you for just generally being so open, so positive and so fun to be around. I’m so very grateful for you. Thank you, Zach, for being you.

-BD