At Rise Recovery, we believe every young person deserves the chance to heal, grow, and thrive. Few stories illustrate that truth more powerfully than the life and legacy of Zachary “Zach” Combs, a young man whose time with our community left an indelible mark of courage, connection, and hope.

Zach’s Journey with Rise Recovery

Zach’s connection to Rise Recovery began during his time as a student at Rise Inspire Academy, where he graduated in 2023. His years at the recovery high school marked a season of growth, renewed purpose, and deep community.

Though his life was cut short, Zach’s story continues to ripple outward in ways that change lives. In March 2025, he inspired the inaugural F.E.A.R.less Summit, a student-led fentanyl awareness and prevention event hosted at Rise Inspire Academy. The summit drew hundreds of attendees and sparked important conversations around drug safety, awareness, and peer leadership.

Through these efforts—and through the love of his family—Zach’s memory has become more than remembrance; it has become a call to action.

A Legacy That Launches New Hope

Rise Recovery is now preparing to launch a new Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for teens and families, a vital next step in addressing the growing need for structured treatment and recovery support in our community.

The IOP will:

• Treatment through a Board Certified adolescent addiction medicine physician
• Provide consistent, professional counseling and group support.
• Offer teens a structured bridge between inpatient care and independent recovery.
• Involve families in the healing journey, ensuring no young person has to walk alone.

This expansion is a direct extension of Zach’s story, a chance to help others facing the same challenges he navigated, and a way to carry forward the hope, connection, and compassion he embodied.

How You Can Carry Zach’s Light Forward

To honor Zach’s memory, the Combs family has launched the giving campaign Carry Zach’s Light Forward. Every gift will help fund the launch of the IOP and expand youth-centered recovery services in San Antonio.

Your support means:

• Removing barriers so teens and families can access care regardless of ability to pay.
• Sustaining vital services that meet young people where they are.
• Carrying Zach’s light forward: transforming a life lost too soon into a legacy that saves others.

Join Us in Honoring Zach

Zach’s life reminds us that every young person has a light worth protecting. By supporting this initiative, you’re not only honoring his memory, you’re helping build a future where teens and families find the recovery, safety, and community they deserve.

Together, let’s carry Zach’s light forward.