Tech Innovator. Returning Student. Kat Zagone’s Second Act

Thirty Years After Leaving Campus for Career in Tech, Returning Student Rediscovers Passion for Theatre and Storytelling

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By Christopher Correa

6 minute read

Student Success

From a young age, Kat Zagone has had a strong affinity for performing arts. Despite her passion for theater, much of her work life over the past three decades has been dedicated to anything but musicals.

After multiple attempts to complete her undergraduate degree fell short, Zagone, 56, found herself developing technology within the banking industry — work that eventually led to four patents and innovations now common in mobile banking.

During the height of Seattle’s dot-com boom, Zagone worked her way from customer support and office management into product development, helping create mobile banking technologies millions of people use every day, including remote check deposit capabilities that allow users to deposit checks through their phones.

“I had no background in tech. I just went wherever the wind took me,” Zagone said. “I’ve always felt like if you have enough confidence in yourself, you can succeed at whatever you’re doing.

“I’m also one of those people that needs to finish what I started.”

After her career in technology came to an end in 2024, Zagone continued to follow her intuition. It landed her at Stanislaus State, where she had previously studied from 1990 to 1994.

“I didn’t tell anybody that I came back to campus, not even my husband, Nicholas (associate chair of Stan State’s Department of Theatre),” Zagone said. “I felt compelled to check things out, to see what campus was like. I visited the admissions office, just to see what the process would be like if I wanted to return and to see what I needed to finally get my degree. I kept it all a secret.”

With the help of Stan State’s resources, as well as her participation in student activities and programs, Zagone finds herself immersed in campus life and on the precipice of earning her undergraduate degree in theatre and finding her footing in a new industry — journalism.

“It’s such a unique experience coming back to school,” Zagone said. “It’s much different than it was 30 years ago. I was so hesitant, and I want people who are thinking about returning to school to know that there is such a welcoming community at Stan State that will make the transition easier and will help you succeed.”

I want people who are thinking about returning to school to know that there is such a welcoming community at Stan State that will make the transition easier and will help you succeed.
— Kat Zagone

Forging Her Own Path

Growing up, Zagone’s family frequented Northern California for her father’s work. She spent most of her elementary years in Modesto. Just as the family moved to different communities, Zagone tried her hand in several areas of study. She first pursued an undergraduate degree in viticulture at UC Davis but quickly changed her major to English. After two years as an Aggie, she moved closer to home for her first stint at Stan State, where she made the transition to theater. As a Warrior, she participated in more than 20 theater productions.

Like many students, though, her academic journey was shaped by work, family and financial realities.

With only a handful of units remaining, Zagone did a guest semester at Humboldt State, where she participated in a production for her senior project. Upon returning to Turlock and knowing she had one more semester at Stan State, she left school to partake in Seattle’s growing alternative rock scene.

It was on par for the art-loving, always-adventurous San Francisco native.

“When I was young, I had a chronic case of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out),” Zagone joked. “I was afraid that I was going to miss out on the college experience and all the fun things that come with it.

“When I left Stan State the first time, I had most of my schooling complete. I had accomplished a lot, and at the time, I didn’t know if I was ever going to return to complete my degree. Life just took me to Seattle, and before you knew it, it blossomed into an entirely different career.”

Over time, Zagone continued building her skills in project and product management, helping develop mobile banking applications and remote deposit technology that changed the way many people manage money today.

“I’ve always had the mindset that I can just figure stuff out,” Zagone said with a laugh. “I’ve had a lot of people inspire me to go out and try my best at whatever it is I may be doing, to never be afraid to try. I know that even if I fail, that’s how I’ll learn.”

Zagone fondly remembers a philosophy professor offering words of encouragement during her first stint at Stan State.

“He said he thought I was very smart. He told me, ‘You’re doing really well, and you’ve got a great mind,’” Zagone recalled. “I said thank you and then just bawled because nobody had ever told me I was smart before. That gave me a lot of confidence to go out and do whatever I put my mind to.

“It’s funny how things keep coming back to my time at Stan State.”

Back in Class

The staff at Stan State worked diligently to find Zagone’s transcripts from 1994. The records showed Zagone needed less than six units to graduate and could have earned her degree in one semester.

Zagone had other plans.

“If I was going to come back, I wanted to do it right,” she said. “I wanted to be involved with activities on campus and have a sense of community with the students, even though there is an age gap with many of them. I knew I couldn’t have done what I wanted in only one semester.”

Her husband was confident his partner would be successful, even if they wouldn’t be together much on campus, as Zagone did not want any conflicts of interest and vowed to avoid taking courses taught by Nick at all costs.

“I have a few returning students, and they are always the best. They work very hard,” Nick Zagone said. “I was curious about the age difference between Kat and her classmates. I was curious about how the students would see her and how they would react. We have a son (Ike) who’s 21 and in college, so she’s fully aware of the challenges facing young people today. But Kat has been getting along swimmingly. Everyone seems to love her and I’ve heard no complaints!”

Over the last year, Zagone has continued the same hands-on approach to learning that led her to success in the world of online banking. Considering her short stint as an English major and eagerness to meet new people, she joined Stan State’s student newspaper, the Signal. As a student multimedia journalist, she has covered the arts, organized crime reports and even began an advice column.

“I get to write about things I’m passionate about while learning new skills,” Zagone said. “I’ve always loved talking to people, but it’s an entirely different skill to be able to go up and interview people and take notes. Here on campus is where I learned to do that, interacting with so many unique people who are so friendly and open. Being able to work closer with departments on campus and build relationships with people and organizations has been really beneficial.

Everybody has been so welcoming and supportive. From the staff and professors to my classmates, the transition back has been amazing, and now I’m so close to graduating and finally finishing what I started.
— Kat Zagone

Zagone has continued to go where the wind takes her. With her new journalism skills and her consistent urge to explore and learn more of what’s happening around her, she earned an internship opportunity with the Modesto Focus, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to covering Modesto and Stanislaus County.

Zagone praised the flexible degree pathways, supportive faculty and resources offered at Stan State that made returning to school possible.

“It’s worth taking those leaps of faith,” Zagone said. “At Stan State, there are resources to help you achieve whatever goals you have. There are so many opportunities to try new things and meet new people. It has been one of the best decisions I ever made.”