The Pathways program has given local students valuable work
experience, while also providing them with the opportunity to
give back to the community.
The Pathway students have been hard at work during the summer
of 2020, stabilizing the convento walls at Abó.
Listen to our students as they describe the work they
have been doing.
Hello. My name is Wyatt Greene. I'm a WG-3 laborer here at Salinas, and
I wanted to work here because it's a good way to get started in
the workforce. It teaches you
the basics of getting a job.
You gotta get your bank account setup, and it teaches you
about getting a paycheck. You gotta go through all your
background check stuff, you learn what it's like to get a
job in the real world.
It's just a good way to get started
off. Do you feel like you've learned useful life skills
working for Salinas? I really think I have, yes. Can you give me any examples?
Well, right off the bat
we do have to be here a little early than I have for normal jobs
and that that teaches you, I think, pretty good discipline. To
wake up, to get started for jobs.
It's taught me what it's like to work with the crew. Not
just, I used to work for the Forest Service, that was a
smaller crew, but this is a more demanding crew. It's
more, you've got to work with a lot
more people and for that many people to be on the same page
it takes a lot and it's good learning right away.
Hello. My name is Jonathan Lisk, and I've worked at Salinas
Pueblo Missions for 3 years. Do you feel that the work
asked of you is well within your capabilities? Yes. They do
a great job of, you know, briefing us before we do a
certain activity as well as teaching us different tools and
how to use them properly and etc., just stuff like that. Do you
feel that Pathways has helped you prepare for adult life?
Yes, I believe it has. The supervisors here have a great
moral code, great ethic code, and they relay that to us very
well.
My name is Amador Brazil. I worked at Salinas for five years,
and I started working at Salinas just in high school. It's a
very, like, not popular thing to do, but just a
like, a good summer job that's around Mountainair.
Do you feel like you've learned useful life skills working for
Salinas? Yes, I have. Like I said before, like, there's a lot of
stuff I didn't know before I started working here. Just
working here I've gained a lot of skills I would say.
So what types of skills?
Just change tires, and fix sinks. Just a lot of
like, we learn how to use a weed-eater, learn how to use a lot
of machines that I didn't know how to use before I started
working here and just stuff like that.
Hello. My name is Gary Starr. I've been working here for about a
week now. And I did this job because I need to go to college
and to go to college, I have to do this job to help pay for
college. So it's been really helping me a lot to get through
college, to help pay for my future career. Has the
Pathways program had a positive effect on your academic
performance? Yes, it's had a huge positive impact on my academic
performance. How so? It's actually helped me to actually want to
do more in school because I actually can with the money that
I'm making with this job.
Did you consider a career in the National Park Service
before applying for the Pathways program? I actually did
because it's actually a cool thing to see all these ruins
in all the National Parks, it's actually really interesting.
Hi. I'm Andrew Archibald from Virginia. This is my
first summer working here at Salinas Pueblo.
I really got interested in this position because I love the
ability to work outside and feel like I'm really working on
building or contributing to something. And this definitely
gives you that feeling. Has Pathways had a positive effect
on your academic performance?
Absolutely. I've gotten a lot more motivated to actually
finish up school. I've never really been a person geared
towards education. But the ability to come back and do this
kind of work afterwards helps me tough it out.
My name is Emilio Lovato. I've worked here for five years
for the Pathways program.
The main reason I started working here is basically the
only job in the area. So it's been a good opportunity to work
here. How do you feel Pathways has changed your views on the
National Park Service? Before working here I didn't really have
too much knowledge about the National Park Service. So it's
really brought a new perspective working out here and learning
the history of the area as well.
Would you consider working for the Park Service now?
Possibly yes. I think the National Park Service
is a great career opportunity.
My name is Chandler Roberts, and I've been working at Salinas
Pueblo Missions for 3 years. And, I chose this job because it's a
great opportunity. I plan on pursuing a career with the
National Parks, and I couldn't beat this job. It's just awesome.
So how do you feel Pathways has changed your views on the
National Park Service? It has really opened my eyes. Before I
came here, I didn't understand the work that goes into
preserving our National Parks, and I've really enjoyed being a
part of that. Do you feel that the work asked of you is well
within your capabilities? Yes, I think it's good to
get outside and work. Especially it really teaches
us the value of hard work.
Hi. I'm Daniel Sisneros. I've been working with the Park Service
for about 6 summers now.
I got into this because my family, it's tradition to work
here. I mean last name is Sisneros, so, you know, I've been
working here. It's been a family tradition for a long time.
Tell me why this is important to you as a member of the Sisneros
family. Well, I mean, growing up here you just kind of see it
as a church and then as I got into it, I saw how
important it was to really, I mean, I stabilize. So
I see how important it is to
keep these structures up, and I mean, it's a big part
of our history and we don't know it.
Do you feel that Pathways has helped you prepare for adult
life? Yes, 100%. Our work ethic has grown and,
yeah, I mean, it just builds you as a person. It really does. So can you
tell me about some of the useful life skills you've
developed working here? Just leadership. I mean, of course,
I only became a 4 about two years ago, so I mean a WG-4
you're in charge of most of the crew. You're just right under a WG-5,
so I mean you're doing everything just like everyone
else. You're driving students, you have responsibilities, so
yeah, just everything leadership.
Hi. My name is Carlos Parra. I'm from Estancia, New Mexico.
I've been working here about 5 years now. And I first started,
I was looking for a summer job and some of my friends actually
started work here before me and they said it was a really
good job to come out. And first summer coming out, and I fell in love with it, fell in love with the ruins, the
people around and that's what kept me around for another about 5
summers, so I'll be here for another another year and then I'll be out.
Did you consider a career in the National Park Service before
Pathways? I never did consider a career in the National Park
Service until the Pathways program, and through the program
I was able to understand the ins and outs of
the wage grades, the steps of improving, getting
promotions like that and so as a person that works for the
National Park Service, I'm able to go to different
National Parks and appreciate what the Rangers do, what the
Interp people do, what the maintenance crew does. And I
think it's a very interesting job and I do have a
passion for it and maybe working in the future.
My name is Jacob Teaney. I started working here I believe
in the summer of 2015. This is my fifth summer working here.
Do you feel like you've learned useful life skills working for
Salinas? Yes, one of the biggest ones is working
effectively is like a team with other people and actually
putting the skills I know that I have towards a common goal
and then using other peoples' skills to actually accomplish
something.
This season's work is drawing to a close for our Pathways
students. But be sure to keep an eye on usajobs.gov
for future opportunities.