With a little more than a month left in my fellowship; I’ve been doing a lot of reflection. These past few months have exposed me to a range of professional opportunities as well as chances for personal growth.
I’m currently working on writing articles, creating a podcast and translating a recent publication for the National Park Service – Rivers, Trails and Conservation program into Spanish. Through writing articles, I‘ve been able interview and connect with project managers all over the country. I’ve also been able to meet volunteers and organization leaders, and learn firsthand the impact the program has on communities. It’s an aspect of recreation assistance that makes the whole program feel worthwhile, being able to see how much people appreciate the technical assistance RTCA provides.
I’ve never created a podcast before but I’m slowly exploring Adobe Audition as I go. It’s a skill that I never thought to develop during this fellowship but the opportunity arose and, with support from my team, I’m excited to see what the end result will look like. The podcast is a special project that I’m developing as part of my recent trip to Alaska and will explore the difficulties presented in outdoor recreation assistance in such remote areas.
Lastly, being able to use my Spanish skills and translate such a large publication into Spanish leaves me feeling so proud of my heritage. It always feels good being a part of something that will give back to the Latine community. I’ve translated things into Spanish since I was a little kid for my parents and to now do it on such a large scale to increase accessibility is a great feeling.
When you apply to a fellowship, internship or any other kind of position there is always a list of roles and responsibilities to give you an idea of what the position looks like. It should be used as a starting point because you can always go beyond that list and have your skills and responsibilities grow.
Agency: National Park Service
Program: Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Program (COR)
Location: Rivers, Trails Conservation Assistance Program - DC Field Office
