#MyParkStory: Finding my place - Emily Hassell, Grand Canyon National Park

Law Enforcement Ranger Emily Hassell overlooks the Grand Canyon.

Emily Hassell

When I first discovered the National Park Service, I imagined park rangers were the people whose families went on backpacking trips on vacation, people who had mastered the outdoors at an early age - not people like me. Although my family had visited parks and enjoyed the occasional weekend camping trip, it wasn’t until college that I was aware the National Park Service existed. I spent my weekends escaping the city on camping and climbing trips, while my weekdays were spent working toward career paths that would certainly keep me inside.

When I graduated college and began to look for next steps in my life, I was offered a 6-month contract with The Great Basin Institute at Joshua Tree National Park in the social media office. I thought I would enjoy a sabbatical before jumping headfirst into adult life, while gaining some relevant career experience and enjoying six months of climbing outdoors. Instead, I stumbled into a long discovery of what the National Park Service had to offer.

First, I found search and rescue, finding some overlap with the rock climbing skills I knew. As time went on, I experienced more and knew I wanted to help more, so I took an EMT class at the local community college. Then, I did ride-alongs with the law enforcement officers (LEOs) in the park and found myself intrigued by the work they did. I applied to a job announcement for LEOs and was placed at Grand Canyon National Park.

I’ve now been working as a law enforcement officer at Grand Canyon for a year and a half. Most days, I still don’t feel like the rangers I had imagined, but I’m grateful to work with an incredible team who are experts in one or more of the many skills needed for the job. My favorite aspect of the job has been working alongside these teammates and learning new things from people with immense knowledge of their specialties every day. These teammates have transformed some of the hardest days into the most memorable. For every late-night trip to the county jail, there is someone to talk through the call and reflect on quotable moments. For every EMS call or fatality, there is someone to talk about how to improve for next time and find a distraction so as not to dwell on the events of the day. And for every slow day, there is someone willing to go train, go explore, and go patrol.

To me, that is what is so special about the National Park Service. There is a park, a place, a job, and a skill for everyone. As long as you’re willing to explore a little and learn a lot, there’s endless possibilities. I certainly have learned a lot in my short time with the National Park Service, but I know there’s still so much further to go, and that’s what I’m most excited for looking forward at my career.