ZACH HARRIS
Principal Intern · Special Education · Math & Science
Originally I went to USI in 2012 for a degree in radio and television — a Bachelor of Science in radio and television. While I was in my undergrad, I started coaching semi-pro football, and I decided to transition more to the coaching side of it, so I ended up going to Ball State almost immediately after graduating from USI to get my first master’s in athletic coaching and education. I graduated from Ball State in December of 2017 with that degree, and while I was doing that, I coached football at Reitz from 2016 to 2018, and then I went from there to Bosse from 2018 to 2020, coaching football.
Then in 2020, I started my second master’s program at Western Governors University — WGU, online — and I finished with that in December of 2023. From there I did a long-term substitute position at Oak Hill to finish out the 2023 school year, and since 2024 I’ve been a special ed teacher at North. So I’ve got close to ten years in education all together, because I was also a substitute. I’ve been around for a minute.
The detours aren’t done climbing: Mr. Harris has been accepted into a doctoral program in education with a focus on special education.
Yes, I do have cerebral palsy. Yes, I’m wheelchair bound. And sure, I had leukemia for a brief period while I was pursuing my undergrad degree — obviously, I’ve been in remission for a while. I’d prefer not to focus on that, though.
I’m licensed in special ed, and when you’re licensed in special education, you have to have a handle on pretty well all subjects — but this past year I was primarily focused on science.
While I was doing my subbing between my undergrad and pursuing my master’s degrees, I was trying to figure out what kind of academic area I wanted to go in. I ultimately pivoted and went back to the drawing board. While I was subbing — and I subbed in several different content areas to try and figure out what I wanted to do — I ended up subbing in special ed for a brief stint.
Special ed stood out to me. Being able to work with these kids — understanding that every kid is obviously different, whether they have disabilities or not. But even with those disabilities, being able to learn about these kids, getting to know them personally — how they learn, how they interact in the world, how I can help adapt things to help them understand things better — there’s nothing better than that, in my opinion.
And I know this may sound cliché, but it’s that lightbulb moment — when you see a kid struggling with something and that lightbulb goes off and they get it. That’s why I do it. Especially if they have struggles with a disability — if they have that breakthrough moment, there’s nothing better than that.
Sees you as — not a disability, not a student — but rather as the person behind the label.