F&M Stories

Senior Spotlight: Keeping to the Beat of His Passion

As they prepare for their May 13 Commencement Ceremony, Franklin & Marshall seniors look back at their four years on campus—and what's next.

Name: Zachary Ezickson

Major: Music, with a film studies minor

Hometown: I moved to London when I was 12 and graduated high school there, but now my family lives in Washington, D.C.

Activities at F&M: Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, Music Honor Society, Catastrophic Relief Alliance, Jazz Big Band

What has been your most memorable moment or time here at F&M? I'll always remember playing with my band, Culture Blue, at the 2017 Spring Arts Weekend. I play trumpet and piano and plan to continue with the band after I graduate, so playing our last show at Franklin & Marshall was particularly special. That day also showed me how F&M's smaller and more intimate community can affect my life outside the classroom. We were able to advertise our performance around campus and had a great turnout, selling all of our Culture Blue T-shirts!

What did you enjoy most about your time at the College? F&M gave me many incredible opportunities. Most notably, during the summer after my junior year, I was given a grant from the Office of Student and Post-Graduate Development to live in New York City and intern at an interactive audio production startup. I was able to live and work in New York for three months, and made connections that could potentially land me a job after graduation.

What are your plans for after graduation? During my sophomore year at F&M, I met Hannibal Robinson, a junior at the time, and we formed the band Culture Blue. After I graduate, Hannibal and I plan on moving to Brooklyn, N.Y., to begin a long, but exciting journey with our band! Even though this isn't necessarily the normal path for a Franklin & Marshall graduate, I'm happy to say that being a student here has given me the confidence and motivation to follow something that I've wanted to do for my entire life.

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