Reflections on my year as an NPS Fellow

Abby hiking at SAMO

Abby Stone Lauer

As my fellowship with the National Park Service - Pacific West Regional Office comes to an end, I have been reflecting on the four goals and expectations I had for myself:

Goal 1. Learn how to create professional park programs for employees through professional development opportunities, conferences, and training's. I achieved this goal by working in the Employee Development Office where I had the opportunity to assist with developing, producing, and facilitating training's for the entire National Park Service - Pacific West Region.

Goal 2. Obtain hands-on skills through shadowing and mentorship that will benefit my future. This fall, I participated in a program called the Department of the Interior Coaching Program. Through this program, I was assigned a coach who works at the Bureau of Land Management. We met once a month for five months and talked about my professional goals. The coaching program has been one of the most helpful aspects of my fellowship. By having a mentor who was not in my organization but still a government employee, I was able to learn about developing outreach programs and get helpful public service career advice about creating a federal resume, switching between departments, and park event planning.

Goal 3. Learn about park management and environmental education through professional development. I have been encouraged to research opportunities and training programs. I learned how to use and create SharePoint pages, how to train employees, how to produce training and development programs, and create classes in DOI Talent. I was afforded the opportunity to receive my Interpretive Guide Certification, Wilderness First Aid Certification, and will be attending the Regional Superintendent's Training and California Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education (AEOE) Annual Statewide Conference in May. These opportunities have been instrumental to my professional growth.

Goal 4. Have a mentor who empowers me and supports my goals. I have been incredibly fortunate to have had two wonderful supervisors who support me and encourage my aspirations and goals. I had the opportunity to travel to Yosemite National Park and Santa Monica National Recreation Area and work with interpretive and events teams who taught me skills that I can bring with me to future positions.

As I move on from this fellowship in May, I will also be graduating with my Master of Education in Environmental Education. I feel incredibly lucky that I got to spend a year working for the park service. As I continue my work in conservation and the next steps in my career, I can say that NPS had an influential marker on my life. I have had so many great opportunities and learning experiences from my fellowship with the Pacific West Regional Office through the Workforce Management Fellowship program.

Article written by Abby Stone Lauer
WFM Fellowship Program, in partnership with NYC Program
for Article series: A Day in the life of a Fellow