Zach Sessa

Zach (he/him) is an MSW student on the Global Pathway, currently completing his field placement with the Policy, Engagement, and Communications team at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC). Originally from Austin, TX, he was inspired by his parents' work at a women and children's shelter on the El Paso/Juarez border to pursue a career in social work, focusing on forced displacement and migration. Zach's experience in immigrant and refugee services includes work in emergency relief programs, housing assistance, and labor rights advocacy. He speaks both English and Spanish and is currently learning Italian. In 2021, he graduated magna cum laude with a BSW from the University of Portland, where he was honored with the Dorothy Day Award for academic achievement in social work. Since graduating, Zach has lived in Los Angeles as a JVC/AmeriCorps volunteer, in Mexico as a Fulbright ETA and basketball coach, and in Boston as a first-grade paraprofessional. He is passionate about participatory global migration research, challenging the unethical uses of border technology and surveillance, and trauma-informed crisis intervention. Driven by a deep commitment to human dignity, Zach strives to create lasting change for displaced communities through collaborative advocacy and action.