Zakaria Kortam is a current student at Evergreen Valley College studying Computer and Electrical Engineering. He graduated high school at the age of 16 in order to pursue future opportunity. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Surf, a new social media company, as well as the Chief Operations Officer of ClosingTheDivide, a non-profit organization.

In March 2022, Zakaria was awarded the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, as well as a letter of gratitude signed by President Joseph R. Biden

In June 2022, Zakaria had the honour to speak and debate before Justice John B. Owens of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as 3 judges from the Superior Court of California.

In April 2022, Zakaria graciously received, along with his two other teammates, the title of California State Champion in the PSA division of the Future Business Leaders of America, an international organization with tens of thousands of members. He went on to represent California in the 2022 Chicago National Leadership Conference, along his teammates.

In May 2022, Zakaria graciously received the speaker of the year award from SVUDL, for his over 2 years of involvement and success in speech tournaments across California, as well as the nation.

Zakaria has been participating in speech and debate since 7th grade in middle school. Throughout his time in dozens of competitions and events, he has won quite a substantial amount of awards and recognitions for his experience and the quality of his speaking.

Zakaria was elected to become Secretary General and to lead an informal Model United Nations Organization. It contained well over six-hundred participants from across the world from well over 20 countries. He was responsible for maintaining order, leading assemblies, and managing the expansion and growth of the organization. He sponsored policies and changes to international law, as well as formed essential decisions on expansion and the maintaining of stability. During the time in which he held this position, he communicated with many people from many different backgrounds, built connections, as well as gained crucial knowledge about other parts of the world, their cultures, and ways of life.