Zach Blair
Graduation year: 2025
High school: Munster High School
Hometown: Munster, Ind.
Majors: English, creative writing, Scandinavian studies
Activities: Campus Ministries; Office of Residential Life; Iota Chi Epsilon fraternity; Augustana Observer student newspaper
Internships: GreatNews.Life; Midwest Writing Center; WQPT PBS; WVIK, Quad Cities NPR; WQAD News 8
Post-grad plans: Working in either Chicago or the Quad Cities to become closer to seeing my biggest dreams realized.
Why Augustana?
I've wanted to be an Augustana student since the sixth grade. My dad is an alumnus, and several of his former roommates still live in the Quad-Cities area. I'd visit them before coming to school here, and now they really feel like family, especially because we're all Vikings. No other institution interested me, either.
There's just something striking about this Rock Island campus, its members and its impacts. It's the most beautiful one in the country, and the people present on it compel me.
Are you where you thought you'd be when you first came to campus?
I'm so much more than where I thought I'd be when I first came to campus. I used to be a timid teen who was so daunted by others, whether it came to holding conversations or trying to establish friendships. By God's grace I overcame my social anxieties long ago, and I'm happy to share that I feel more fearless as a person because of Augustana.
I hoped and prayed before arriving in the Quad Cities for my student-life experience to be everything I hoped for and more, and that's exactly what I got.
Who helped you get to where you are now?
The list goes on and on, and frankly I don't know where to start.
God's been guiding me along my journey every step of the way. My parents aren't too far behind, what with their constant compassion and encouragement.
I've got two siblings whose very beings motivate me to strive day after day, and I'm lucky enough to write that I have arguably the best batch of friends in the whole world — sending a huge shoutout to Augustana's community of Nepali students, who have offered me so much love and so many laughs.
I'm grateful for each professor whose classroom I was in over these past four years, particularly those in the English department.
And I cannot forget Pastor Melinda Pupillo's brilliance as a leader, mentor and friend. The same goes for Eric Rowell, whose passion for Augustana was extended to me.
My thanks also go toward the executive staff making up Augustana's Office of Residential Life in Andreen.
Peak experience?
Truly it's been as if every day on campus has brought something new. If I had to be selective, I'm always missing the J-term trip to Jönköping, Sweden, I took at the beginning of 2024.
Certain classroom experiences will remain unforgettable, like my sophomore-year fall in Dr. Ashley Burge's African-American-literature class and 2022's J-term learning all about insects from Dr. Tierney Brosius.
I'm also incredibly thankful to have been a community advisor, or CA, for two school-years.
What surprised you?
I was surprised by Augustana's reputation. I learned each school year how I've been fortunate to be a student at one of the best liberal-arts colleges in the United States. The opportunities in the Quad Cities abound as well, and that was shocking.
Thankfully that reality helped me to bolster my résumé, and I didn't have to travel anywhere unfamiliar.
How did you use your Augie Choice?
I used my Augie Choice to fund my J-term trip to Sweden in 2024.
What will you miss the most?
I'll simply miss just being at Augustana for school. I'll forever miss not totally knowing what each day might bring, the chances to hang out with friends at any hour of the day, and the sound of both fanfare from the Arsenal and nearby train horns in the nighttime, as well as so much else.
Advice for the Class of 2029?
Embrace who you are. Students will find out fast how quickly time at Augustana passes. I'm urging everyone to publicly be exactly who they are behind closed doors. That way they'll find fulfillment in all that they do, with the right friends, things and goals around them.
"I've appreciated Zach's spirit, dedication and creative work in several writing classes over the years; he's a terrific example of a student who pursues his interests on all cylinders. In the recent J-term literary residency, he became intrigued with the haiku form, which means that not only did Zach research its history and practitioners but he set out to write a couple 100 haiku of his own. It became, for him, a truly immersive experience, and the work he produced was truly inspired. I can't wait to see where he takes his talents next!"