Mr. Zapata was born and raised in Laredo, Texas. He graduated from what is now Texas A & M International University (TAMIU) with a Bachelor of Arts diploma in 1980 before embarking upon a sixteen year career as a public school educator. During that time, he returned to TAMIU to secure his Master's in Educational Psychology so as to prepare for a new career in counseling. Following two years of gaining counseling experience within the area of Chemical Dependency, Mr. Zapata moved to San Antonio in 2001 and worked for the Northside Independent School District prior to joining the SAISD family in February, 2002. This school year marks Mr. Zapata's fourth year as Ogden's counselor. In his spare time, Mr. Zapata writes about the outdoor amusement industry for Carnival Magazine.