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Where did you go to school?
I went to high school at William Howard Taft High School. I spent some time at Alamo Colleges and now I’m an upperclassman at UTSA.What is your favorite part of the apprenticeship so far?
I would say that my favorite part has been the inclusivity. The staff really took us in as part of the team when it comes to teamwork and safety on projects like pruning, weed whacking, and acequia work.NPS Photo
What is your best memory in a national park?
My family and I would visit national parks when I was a kid. When my cousins came over as a kid, we would go visit San Antonio Missions in the morning and then have a big barbeque afterward.Why is cultural resource management important?
Cultural resource management is important because it’s preservation of time. We’re not just preserving the buildings but also preserving the landscape. We’re helping to share with people what it was like back then, in the mission period.NPS Photo.
What is one thing you hope to learn in this apprenticeship?
I really am interested in learning how field work is actually done. I want to get a feel for working in the natural environment with tools.What are your future career goals?
Right now, I’m getting my bachelors degree in Environmental Sciences, and I want to know if specializing in conservation management would be a good fit for me.NPS Photo.
What is one thing you hope to learn in this apprenticeship?
I really am interested in learning how field work is actually done. I want to get a feel for working in the natural environment with tools.What are your future career goals?
Right now, I’m getting my bachelors degree in Environmental Sciences, and I want to know if specializing in conservation management would be a good fit for me.NPS Photo.
How will your experience as a Cultural Landscape Apprentice help you to achieve these goals?
This apprenticeship will give me experience in cultural resource management and help me to decide if specializing in cultural resource management in school would be a good fit for me. It’ll also give me experience in a professional work environment, how different people work and what jobs people do in the field.What advice do you have for current students interested in pursuing cultural and natural resource management?
My advice would be to go for it. If it seems interesting, even if you don’t have all the qualifications, go for it. Apply for things, and the worst thing that they could say is no. If they say no, then at least you learn a bit about where you stand and what to improve. Just jump in!NPS Photo.