Zakary was born and raised in a working-class Rhode Island family that taught him to be present with the people he loves and to work hard. Watching his mother struggle to navigate the healthcare system showed him how hard it has become to get services people should be able to count on.

That same belief in access guides his work at the University of Rhode Island, where he helps military veterans earn college credit for the skills they gained in service. He chose Warwick to put down roots, he knows why his generation is leaving, and he's backing the Affordable RI plan to change it. Housing people can afford to stay in, healthcare and childcare that don't eat a paycheck, fully funded public schools, and wages that make full-time work enough.