By: Tomi Simmons
“You just have to be able to always say yes to every new experience; that’s what I have learned anyway,” Zac Moran said. Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Zac is a junior at McPherson College, majoring in business. The past five years for Zac have been quite a ride; he’s traveled from Sydney to community college, from community college to London, and finally from London to end his journey at McPherson College.
After graduating high school, Zac attended one semester at Western Sydney University. He said, “I always planned on leaving and coming to America.” Upon finishing the semester at Western Sydney, Zac began to work three jobs in Sydney to save up for college in America. He even spent summer break traveling in Shanghai, working for a company he had worked for in Sydney. Through all of this time, Zac waited to hear back from prospective schools and had somewhat given up on the idea of coming to America because of the lack of response. “I honestly did not know how to apply or to reach out to baseball coaches, and so I was surprised when I finally got offers,” Zac said.
In 2015, Zac accepted an offer to play baseball at Western Nebraska Community College. There Zac worked in the cafeteria and became a Resident Assistant. At Zac’s last year of junior college, he won homecoming king. After receiving his associates, Zac planned on attending a school in North Carolina; however a week before Zac was supposed to leave for the college, the situation did not work out.
After receiving the news about the North Carolina school, Zac accepted a warehouse supervisor position at Kinetic Supply in London, England. Zac would reach out to schools for the following year while taking that gap year to work. During his time in London, Zac played on a slow pitch softball team that traveled all around Europe for games. Zac said, “London was the first time I was ever truly alone. I didn’t know anyone and so I had to reach out to make friends. It was overwhelming because by the end of the time I was there I had at least 250 people at my going away party. London was the best city I have ever lived in.”
After his year in London, Zac accepted an offer to McPherson College. Here Zac embodies the participation part of McPherson College; he has made so many friends and is constantly trying to unify his group of friends. In fact, he has friends from all sorts of sports; ranging from cross country to soccer. On campus, Zac works twenty hours a week in the cafeteria and has become a student ambassador as well. One of his good friends Brian Cantu said, “Zac is uplifting to others and so outgoing. He never fails to make me laugh.” Soren Yarnell also said, “He’s really caring and is always trying to make everyone happy.”
Though Zac has come from so many places to get here, he doesn’t regret it at all. He has said, “Through all of this moving, it’s all so bittersweet. I have friends from all over, but I also have had to say goodbye to them as well. I still wouldn’t change any of it, I’m grateful for all of my experiences I have gotten to have.”
