ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2025
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. This year, 60,000+ young leaders applied to join the Class of 2025 on 7,000+ campuses across 170 nations. 290+ campuses worldwide (less than 5%) were selected to host the 4,500+ Millennium Fellows.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT ZACHARY RYAN CHERENFANT, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2025.
Pace University Pleasantville | Pleasantville, United States | Advancing SDG 6, SDG 1, SDG 3, SDG 7, SDG 9, SDG 10, SDG 11, SDG 12, SDG 14, SDG 13, SDG 15, SDG 28, SDG 14: Life Below Water & UNAI 9
" My family has always been my foundation, inspiring me to overcome challenges and uplift others. The Millennium Fellowship is my chance to give back by using what I'm learning about the water we use every day to positively affect their lives and as well to share that knowledge with communities around the world through collaboration, technology, and leadership. "
Millennium Fellowship Project: Right-to-Know H2O '25
Student teams from Pace University in New York and Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) in Finland are jointly proposing a partnership we believe unique in MCN history – teams from schools 4,000 miles apart applying separately but collaborating intensively on a bilateral model to address an urgent, inherent principle of SD6: the right to safe water requires the right to know water is safe. We will build upon the work of Pace’s 2024 team which found that the combined population of the world’s 25,000 higher education institutions – an estimated 270 million water users -- would place it fourth on the list of the world’s most populous nations. This statistic alone offers a powerful statement about the need for schools in and out of the MCN network to increase water awareness and influence global policy. Our joint deliverable will be an information and education model that can promptly inform water users of the quality of their water, with a timeline that will include immediately achievable goals, and projected technical innovations. We believe this model will apply not only to colleges and universities, but gain international attention, including at the United Nations itself.
About the Millennium Fellow
From a young age, Zachary has navigated personal health challenges, including seasonal allergies and athletic injuries, which shaped his resilience, discipline, and empathy for others. These experiences not only fueled his determination as a student-athlete but also inspired his drive to build healthier, safer communities through technology and leadership.
Now a senior at Pace University, Zachary has transformed those early lessons into action. As a football player, he learned perseverance and teamwork; as a changemaker, he applies the same mindset to social impact initiatives. His leadership spans across projects such as Right-to-Know H2O—a Millennium Fellowship initiative addressing water quality and public health—and his work with Blue CoLab’s database team, where he integrates technology to improve environmental and human well-being. Beyond campus, he has championed causes like Be The Match, organizing marrow donor drives to support patients in critical health need.
Through this unique blend of health awareness, athletic discipline, and technological expertise, Zachary is committed to advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. He aspires to a professional career in cybersecurity and digital trust, where he can continue safeguarding systems, communities, and the well-being of future generations.
