B.S. Aerospace Engineering and minor in Mathematics, Virginia Tech

Zach Candler serves as Director of Formation and Mentorship at The Summit Academy and teaches History, Mathematics, and Science. He has played a leading role in introducing Exeter Math into the school’s curriculum and developing the house system.

Mr. Candler earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Mathematics from Virginia Tech in 2008 before beginning a ten-year career as a spacecraft engineer with Lockheed Martin, much of it supporting NASA’s Orion program. During those years, he also pursued graduate studies at the Augustine Institute and served in youth ministry. Prior to joining The Summit, he and his family spent a year in Waco, Texas, working with World Hunger Relief, where he gained hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture and led immersion programs for Christian youth groups.

An engineer who is also a lover of Catholic theology, literature, and the liberal arts, as well as a burgeoning farmer who can demonstrate the skills of rabbit processing, Mr. Candler may be the quintessential Renaissance man. In reflecting what attracted him to The Summit Academy, he writes, “The Summit is a school committed to a pedagogy that makes evident the harmony between faith and reason and that goes beyond just imparting knowledge to its students but also seeks to instill wisdom, wonder, and virtue in them.” That vision continues to animate his work with students at The Summit.

Mr. Candler and his wife, Ashley, live in rural Virginia and have five children, with a sixth expected soon.