Early in life, it became clear to Zara Snapp that her passion lay in learning more about institutional power, as well as gaining tools to create positive community change and mobilization. Having worked in the non-profit sector for the last 7 years, Zara already had a grassroots background in activism, but it was important for her to find ways to link that work to academic scholarship. Zara has been awarded several university, local and national awards, including the Thomas Jefferson Award, the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award and a 2005 Truman Foundation Scholarship.

After graduating from UCD, Zara chose to move to Mexico to live with her boyfriend. Since moving, she has continued working in the states as a contractor with the Kellogg Foundation, while being able to live a more flexible life in Mexico. In the next few years, Zara intends to return to school to pursue a graduate program and gain a Ph.D in political science. She hopes to work internationally with community based organizations who are dedicated to furthering social justice.