Staff Spotlight: Vanessa Torres

1) Vanessa and her grandmother on her grandmother’s first hike; her grandmother visited her first national park site when she was 80 years old
2) Vanessa enjoying a break in the Texas Bluebonnets
3) Vanessa catching a giant Lake Trout out of Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park

NPS Photo/Vanessa Torres

Meet Vanessa Torres! She currently works at Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park and Waco Mammoth National Monument, where she serves as the Program Manager of Visitor Services. She oversees all the visitor servicee, which range from visitor interactions and interpretive programs to education, and community engagement throughout both national park sites. She took some time to reflect on her journey with the National Park Service, what it means to be part of the Latino community, and advice for youth and young adults interested in working at the National Park Service.

For her, the National Park Service was not an agency that had initially crossed her mind in college. However, as a Freshman student attending St. Mary's University in San Antonio, she remembers how she "ran across this kind woman wearing a uniform asking if I enjoyed the outdoors. She told me all about the National Park Service and how I could travel and experience the outdoors at different parks. Later that week, I interviewed with her for a job in the National Park Service. This was during the time of STEP and SCEP, where you could interview on the spot and be placed in a position. A few months later, I received a call asking if I would like to go to Alaska for the summer! That one interaction with this kind woman, Clara Wooden, turned into a fifteen-year friendship and mentorship with her and kick started my love and career with the National Park Service."

Vanessa has now proudly worked in the NPS for 13 and a half years at six national park sites, one regional office, and the Department of Interior. She has worked at Kenai Fjords National Park, Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, Grand Teton National Park, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Lincoln Home National Historic Site, and for the National Capitol Region Area.

What it means to be part of the Latino community at the National Park Service to Vanessa can be summed up in one word: Representation. "Latinos only make up a small percentage of employees in the NPS, so being able to shed light on issues and successes that affect the Latinx communities within NPS and gateway communities is huge! I enjoy finding ways to tell the full story of whatever site I'm working in, including the Latinx experience in those places from a historical sense and any current involvement."

Advice she would give to youth is to be patient with yourself and look for ways to get your foot in the door whether that be through internships or other opportunities. Seek out mentors, who can help you continue to grow.

Duration:

2 minutes, 19 seconds

Meet Vanessa Torres, Program Manager of Interpretation, Education, and Community Engagement for Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park and Waco Mammoth National Monument. Hear her story, how she got involved with the National Park Service, what it means to be part of the Latino community, and advice she has for youth interested in the conservation field.