What was your major?
I graduated from the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources in December 2018. I majored in Environmental Studies and minored in Sustainable Food Crop Production. What is your current job title? Please describe your current job. I am currently an Interpretive Park Ranger at Arches National Park. Interpretive Rangers work to provide education to visitors, with the goal of helping them to connect to the park’s natural and
cultural resources. I am responsible for staffing the visitor center front desk and providing orientations, answering questions, and helping visitors plan trips into the challenging back country that comes with a high desert landscape. I create formal and informal interpretive programs, such as
campfire talks, and hike trails to connect with visitors. I also collect fees required with park entrance and back country permits. Are you currently doing what you imagined you would be doing at this point in your life? Honestly, I am currently doing what I dreamed I would be able to do at this point of my life. Last season I worked as an Interpretive Park Ranger Intern at The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, which helped prepare me for a career in a field that I have an immense love for. I have been able to work with visitors from around the world and communicate the
importance of preserving of our natural places, which is something I’d like to do for the rest of my life. The only difference is that I had not imagined that I would be in the place that I am as soon as I was able to be, and I am very grateful for that.
What was your favorite class at UConn?
It’s difficult to narrow it down to one! I would have to say my favorite classes at UConn were GEOG 3350 Global Change, Local Action with Mark Boyer and PLSC 2500 Principles and Concepts of Agroecology with Karl Guillard. Both professors are extremely passionate about the subjects that they teach and it is infectious. GEOG 3350 helped me to recognize the results of our human-environment interactions, both good and bad, and how we can sustainably move forward in an age of globalization. I think that anyone would benefit from learning the materials in this class, as we are all affected by these impacts. PLSC 2500 helped expand my knowledge of sustainable agriculture and inspired me to pursue a minor in Sustainable Food Crop Production.
What UConn course did you find most useful?
The materials from EEB 2208 Introduction to Conservation Biology have been most useful to me so far. This class covered ecological restoration, protection of ecosystem services, conservation economics and law, and how to implement conservation actions. I have found myself referring back
to information that I learned in this class.
What is your fondest memory of UConn?
My fondest memory at UConn would be any of the glorious sunsets spent at Horse Barn Hill, where you could find me petting the cows or laying in the tall grass.
Do you have any advice
for current students in your major?
Push yourself out of your comfort zone frequently and have faith in yourself and your capabilities. Take the time to truly learn the information in your classes instead of just
memorizing for the next exam. Enroll in different kinds of classes, experiment and see what topics are most interesting and important to you. Finally, chase what makes you feel most inspired and fulfilled!
Is there anything else that you would like to share about your experience at UConn?
UConn is an institution that provides so many beautiful opportunities to those who seek them. I cherish both the connections that I made here and the all-encompassing education that I received through majoring in Environmental Studies.
Pictures from the 2019 Season at Canyonlands National Park