Daniel Zahn has always been one to wear many hats. Even during his time at Penn State, Zahn was heavily involved on and around campus, through his roles in peer mentoring, student advocacy, and his focus on First Amendment rights and the humanities.

Five years after he graduated, Zahn is running for a seat on the Board of Trustees through Penn State Forward to give the Board the perspective of younger alumni. Through his campaign, Zahn wants to give back to the school that provided plentiful opportunities in four years.

The minute the Allentown, Pennsylvania, native stepped into Happy Valley ahead of his first semester in fall 2016, he was instantly hooked. Beyond the school’s reputation, Zahn saw firsthand the major impact Penn State would have on his academics, personal, and professional life, and has been grateful ever since.

“I felt like I didn’t have to compromise anything,” Zahn said. “It made me feel like I could get the best education at the best price. I really liked the atmosphere that I saw, the classes… I was able to do everything I wanted to do, which is a rare moment of pleasure and satisfaction in life that you’re really able to feel like you got the most out of a situation.”

Zahn was more than an average student. Triple-majoring in English, philosophy, communications arts and sciences, and minoring in French, history, Jewish studies, rhetoric, and linguistics. Zahn had a packed schedule and still managed to heavily involve himself in extracurriculars. Zahn was the president of mock trial, a member of the Schreyer’s honor’s college student council and a Schreyer scholar ambassador, a member of the UPUA’s judicial board, a Penn State Hillel intern, a Student Teaching Students professor, and the co-founder and president of FORM (Future Opportunities Reached by Mentorship) Consulting, which shut-down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On top of that, he studied abroad in France, England, Ireland, and Benin.

Through his studies and research, Zahn advocated for individual rights, academic freedom, free speech org, and students rights and continued to do so at Stanford. Shortly after law school, Zahn expanded his advocacy by working for a federal judge, while still staying connected to Happy Valley.

“I feel like I never lost my involvement with Penn State,” Zahn shared. “Once I graduated, I immediately started mentoring Penn State students through the College of Liberal Arts, the presidential leadership academy, and the honors college, and those allowed me to maintain a direct link with students at Penn State,” Zahn said. “I love Penn State, and I feel like Penn State has the potential to really be a leader, to really represent the commonwealth, and to really push higher education into the 21st century.”

Through his line of work and his continued connection to the university, Zahn has seen Penn State through the lens of both a current student and an alumnus. Zahn emphasized the importance of having the perspective of someone who’s been a student during COVID, online learning, free speech issues, and so on, all while balancing his academics and student involvement.

“One of the reasons why I felt that I should run is because I was looking at the experience that the Board of Trustees has, and I was thinking, ‘Do I have a different experience? Do I have an experience that’s going to fill a gap on the Board of Trustees?” Zahn shared. “And, I think a lot of people talk about experience in terms of how many years they’ve been in something, and they neglect to think about experience as what you’ve done in life.”

Over the years, Zahn says he’s seen many First Amendment issues continue to rise across campus. From his research and studies within constitutional law, Zahn believes he’s the answer to solving these problems.

“Right now, we’re seeing constitutional issues arise all the time at Penn State and for higher education institutions nationwide,” Zahn said. “Students are getting their visas revoked, and Penn State is losing international students, often for what just seems to be protected speech. Penn State itself has silenced protesters in the past, whether it’s for racial justice, whether it’s conservative speakers…No one on the Board of Trustees has any experience or knowledge about these constitutional law issues and the relationship between higher education, free speech, principles, and the Constitution.”

Staying connected, studying student freedom rights, and already working toward a change for a better future are just some of the ways Zahn believes he would be a valuable board member.

“In talking with students, I think they’re seeing the same issues that I’m seeing,” Zahn shared. “The university should be Happy Valley. You should be able to go there, and you should have no financial concerns. You should not have concerns about the federal government coming after your funding or your visa status.”

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Editor’s note: Zahn’s interview is one of a multi-part series aiming to feature alumni running for open seats on the Board of Trustees. Onward State does not, and will not, endorse any candidate(s) in this election. Check out our site to read more about the remaining candidates vying for spots on the board throughout this year’s election cycle.