Andy Zhang, a senior with a caramel tuft of hair and a passion for education, is not planning on being a Jesuit.

 In fact, he’s planning to accept a job as a consultant after graduation and hopes to one day own a business. But if SLU has taught him anything, it’s that you don’t need to be a Jesuit to live by the standards of St. Ignatius. 

The Parkway North alum balances his biology and education majors with a passion for service, particularly through his work with the Billiken Success Program and Student Support Services. He works as a peer mentor in both programs, helping students at SLU and around St. Louis reach their full academic potential. 

“In another life, I would want to be a teacher,” Zhang said of his work with education.

In addition, Zhang recently took a job as a program coordinator for a new ACT prep program out of SLU’s School of Education. The organization does not yet have an official name, but its goal is to provide a free six-week ACT prep course for students in high schools around the city.

“It’s just part of the Jesuit mission,” he said of his work with the organization, which plans to begin ACT prep classes at Cardinal Ritter High School in the spring. “[As students] we want to study hard but also volunteer…we want to use that pedestal to help others.”