Zachary Finacchio

Class of 2025
Major in Sociology; Minors in Statistical Science and Conflict Management

At Duke, my hobbies and extracurriculars are mainly arts-centric, including involvement in Duke University Improv and Hoof 'n' Horn (the student musical theatre group). Accordingly, this summer, I combined my interests in the arts and Sociology to intern with non-profits that use theatre-oriented programming to build community and conflict remediation skills for students in schools and the juvenile justice system. My non-arts Duke involvements include work with Duke University Union, the Thompson Writing Center, and the Orientation logistics team! Outside of Duke, I also work with UNC's BAT Labs to create medical trainings that better suit the needs of queer patients, and I volunteer with the Community Empowerment Fund in Durham and Chapel Hill. I'm thrilled to be working as an ambassador for the Sociology department as I continue to investigate how the arts can be used to help communities in need!

Favorite Class: Sociology 219: "Juvenile Delinquency" with Dr. Maria Febbo was a fascinating deep dive into theories of delinquency and the systems at play in youth behavior. I found the topic of my final research paper so interesting that I decided to spend the summer working with some of the non-profits that came up in my research!