By the time Zachary Horner ’26 earns his degree in Law and Public Policy next month, with a minor in International Relations, he will have spent more than a third of his college career studying abroad.

After the First-Year Study Abroad Experience (FYSAE) in London, Horner found himself infatuated with traveling the world. 

“I came to Arcadia with the expectation of studying abroad,” he said. “However, I didn’t expect to love traveling so much that I’d go abroad for another semester, as well as take a [Global Field Study]  and a graduate-level class where I’d get to go to Munich, Vienna, and Paris.”

This past fall, the California, Md., native lived in Dublin while interning with the Irish Parliament. Graduating in three years while spending one of them on the other side of the globe has its challenges, though.

“I’ve always been the person to push myself academically, but last year I think I pushed myself a little bit too far, which allowed me to learn a lot about myself,” he said. “Last spring I took 26 credits, was waking up at 6 a.m. for the first half of the semester for swim practice, was a member of the [Student Government Organization] and [Student-Athlete Awareness Committee], and worked at the library. Looking back, I still enjoyed myself, but it forced me to recognize my own limits. While I still push myself, I’ve learned how to prioritize my own well-being.”

Outside of his classes and these responsibilities, Horner is a member of the Study Abroad Mentor Program (STAMP), Model United Nations, and had an internship with the Montgomery County District Court. After graduation, Horner plans to find a job in the government or court systems in his home state of Maryland and then attend law school in a few years.

At this year’s Honors Convocation, Horner received the Joan and Bob Thompson Political Science Award. In his nomination, faculty members noted, “an excellent student in his Law and International Relations coursework, Zach consistently demonstrates intellectual rigor, global awareness, and analytical precision. His participation in the Global Field Study, Exploring National Identity in Central Europe, further reflects his commitment to understanding governance, identity, and public institutions in both domestic and international contexts.”