Nederland High School Senior Zachary Porter came to Nederland Middle-Senior High School as a freshman. Throughout his time at Nederland High School (NHS) he has greatly appreciated the closeness of the teachers and students. He says that his hometown school in Texas did not have this.

During high school Zachary participated in the Table Tennis Club as a senior as well as the Science Research Seminar (SRS) as a senior.

Zachary loved taking calculus, chemistry and SRS classes at NHS. Math teacher Mr. Geels became a favorite teacher of his. Zachary says that Mr. Geels always supports his students. Zachary adds, “Mr. Geels got me borderline obsessed with calculus with his in-depth lessons.”

It will not surprise you that Zachary will be attending Colorado School of Mines after graduating from Nederland. He will be pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. He hopes to work for Tesla or another company like it that he supports.

Zachary has received a $500 scholarship from the National Society of Professional Engineers of Colorado. This is a scholarship that Zachary won when he and a partner won honorable mention at the Colorado State Science Fair. An award they are both very proud to have achieved and they are proud of the work they did.

Before going to the School of Mines Zachary wants the teachers at Nederland to know that he loved getting an education from teachers who really care about their students. When he leaves NHS he will miss his teachers the most. He says, “They’re all friendly and intelligent people.”

As for having a great friend in high school Zachary said, “Chase Snyder helped take my mind off of academic things by talking about whatever political issues we could think of.” It is good to have a friend who can take your mind off your work for a while.

Outside of school to earn some money Zachary does freelance technical writing online.

When asked what advice he has for younger students Zachary says, “Reach out and represent your school, the foundations you’ll form and the relationships you foster will benefit you into the future.”

Zachary is passionate about his commitment to learning. He hopes to inspire generations after him to love learning new things as much as he does.

Congratulations on graduation from Nederland High School Zachary. We wish you all the best in your future!