Finding His Place in the World

Zack Johnson, BIS ’20 and CAS ’22. Photo provided by Zack Johnson

When Zachary “Zack” Johnson, BIS ’20 and CAS ’22, first arrived on campus, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to study, but he was certain that OU was the place he could figure it out. Early in his first year, he began to build relationships and experiences that led to his major — and jump-started a fulfilling career.

“I knew that I had interests, and I knew I had passions, but I felt uneasy about my major being undecided,” Johnson says. Having a dedicated adviser and support from staff in the First Year Advising Center (FYAC) empowered him to explore his options. “The way the FYAC is set up helps students like me who don’t really know what they are looking for,” Johnson says. “So even if you think you’re going one way, being able to go back to the FYAC and talk through things was a big help.”

In addition to the FYAC, Johnson found a sounding board in Scott Crabill, Ph.D., his group dynamics instructor. “I was still figuring out what I wanted to do, and Scott and I had discussions about OU’s Integrative Studies program, which ended up being my bachelor’s degree,” Johnson says. 

Dr. Crabill, longtime director of OU’s Bachelor of Integrative Studies (BIS) program (since renamed the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies), invited Johnson to work as a teaching assistant and became his capstone teacher. “We’ve remained in touch, and Scott has become more than just a mentor and professor; he’s become a personal friend,” he adds.

A Defining Moment
After deciding to pursue a BIS degree, Johnson sought out ways to meld his emerging academic enthusiasm into campus life, including joining the men’s basketball Grizz Gang and becoming an orientation group leader (OGL), orientation assistant and senior orientation specialist in Orientation and New Student Programs (ONSP). 

Each avenue broadened his campus community to further define his path. “Working in the ONSP office was a critical defining moment for me since the staffers were so committed to student development,” Johnson says. “They were dedicated to finding out individually what each of us was like, how we wanted to grow and who we wanted to be.” It was while working as an OGL, too, that he met the late Daryl Blackburn, an enthusiastic student whose memory endures through his relationships. 

After applying and being chosen to work with Alternative Spring Break, Johnson traveled to Give Kids the World Village (GKTW), first as a participant and then again as a site leader. Photo provided by Zack Johnson

“I got to know Daryl through our work as student leaders, and we became friends pretty quickly,” Johnson says. “Daryl told me about OU’s Alternative Spring Break organization and how he was a trip leader for Give Kids the World Village, where I work now as an entertainment manager.”

“Daryl said he thought it would be great if I wanted to volunteer on the trip with him,” he continues. After applying and being chosen to work with Alternative Spring Break, Johnson traveled to Give Kids the World Village (GKTW), first as a participant and then again as a site leader. 

GKTW is an 89-acre nonprofit resort located in Central Florida that works with more than 200 national and international organizations to fulfill wishes for children battling critical illnesses. In its nearly 40-year history, GKTW has granted more than 200,000 wishes by providing villa accommodations, theme-park access, transportation, food, entertainment, and on-site attractions for “wish” children and their families. 

“I just had such a passion for the organization,” Johnson says of GKTW, “and Daryl and I would constantly talk about Give Kids the World, even when we weren’t there. We loved the work that they did.” Blackburn also had a personal connection: He had stayed at GKTW as a “wish” child himself in 2003 following a critical illness. Although Blackburn passed away in 2023, his legacy of leadership and service at OU lives on through colleagues and friends like Johnson, who says Blackburn is a big reason why he got involved with Alternative Spring Break and GKTW.

Coursing a Career

Zack Johnson with his partner and fellow OU graduate Cydney Fry, BIS ’21. Photo provided by Zack Johnson

Johnson earned his BIS in 2020 with minors in applied leadership skills and communication as well as his Master of Arts in communication from OU in 2022. He then moved to Florida when his partner and fellow OU graduate Cydney Fry, BIS ’21, started her graduate assistantship at the University of Central Florida. 

Johnson initially planned to pursue a job in higher education, but once in Central Florida and in close proximity to GKTW, he felt compelled to apply there. He was hired for an hourly, entry-level position and worked his way up over four years to the position of entertainment manager. 

“I owe a lot to my OU experience — not just the university but to all the people that I met who had a role in supporting me and creating the life that I have here now,” Johnson says. “I never would have thought this is where I’d end up professionally, let alone in this type of work, but I’m very happy about it and extremely grateful for it.”