Zinc was born in Boston, MA and then moved to the mountains of Berkshire County, MA. They attended Monument Mountain Regional High School in Great Barrington, MA, transferred to Holyoke Community College, and will complete their degree in Cultural Anthropology at Mount Holyoke College (MHC). Zinc joined RSYP in 2012 as a constituent and youth advocate, focusing on gardening, intergenerational storytelling, and art as healing mediums. As a first generation and low-income student, they co-founded and designed the Railroad Street Youth Student Empowerment Program (RYSE) and scholarship in 2017. After a decade in RSYP’s programs, Zinc joined the RSYP team in 2021. They are excited to coordinate with partner organizations, parents, and youth to identify the root causes (like mental health) of teen substance misuse in the South Berkshire Community. When they are not farming, Zinc loves to hang out with friends, sprawl across the floor, and dream of a utopia filled with regenerative change.