Volunteer: Internship Profiles

In the summer of 2019, Kevin Garcia Lopez was a Latino Heritage Intern as an Interpretation and Outreach Assistant at Point Reyes National Seashore. Kevin attended Humboldt State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Management and Conservation in the Spring of 2020. He aspires to become an avian ecologist and hopes to work with endangered and threatened species. His experience in Point Reyes inspired Kevin to develop an interest for interpretation because it allows him to share his passion about wildlife and nature with the public. Kevin also made it his goal to create bilingual educational material with the intention of inspiring the next generation of ecologists and interpreters and simply connect people with nature. Currently, Kevin is the Winter Wildlife Lead Docent at Point Reyes, a position that allows him to teach visitors about elephant seals and any bird that appears at Drakes Beach.

 

Ruby Gonzalez was a Latino Heritage Intern at Point Reyes National Seashore during the summer of 2020 as an Interpretation and Outreach Assistant Intern. Ruby graduated from California State University in the Fall of 2019 with a Bachelor’s in Science in Environmental Science. Ruby worked on creating virtual content for the park's social media that centered around diversity in the National Park Service. She also worked alongside the Northern Rockies Incident Command team to staff closures due to the Woodward Fire and translated fire briefings in Spanish for the Spanish speaking community. Currently, Ruby is an Interpretive Park Guide for the 2020–2021 winter season here at Point Reyes National Seashore.

 

Alícia Kelley was the 2021 summer intern with the Latino Heritage Internship Program at Point Reyes National Seashore. The internship involved her writing blog posts to share and reflect on different experiences at the park. Alícia’s position was in Interpretation, Outreach, and Digital Communication. She helped answer questions at the Bear Valley Visitor Center and did outreach to the Latinx community, such as through her guided tour to the Point Reyes Lighthouse during Latino Conservation Week. Alícia posted on social media in English and Spanish. She graduated from the University of San Diego with a bachelor's in Environmental and Ocean Sciences and a focus in Environmental Science. Alícia minored in Chemistry and is interested in both the environment and health. She hopes to continue to explore her passions by obtaining a Master in Public Health in Environmental Health.

 

Diego Morales was a Mosaics in Science intern at Point Reyes National Seashore during the summer of 2019 as an Interpretation and Resource Education Assistant. Diego is studying Society & Environment and Anthropology at UC Berkeley and hopes to attend law school after completing undergrad. His favorite memory as an intern at Point Reyes is getting to develop and offer a Ranger Program to park visitors titled “Unclogging Our Oceans: The Plastic Waste Crisis and Action.” He first learned about the Mosaics in Science program while searching for student opportunities in the National Park Service after enjoying his time at Rosie the Riveter/WWII National Historical Park. Diego understands that increasing diversity in the outdoors and environmental professions is important in making sure underrepresented and disenfranchised communities have equal access to nature and a voice in issues of environmental justice. Currently, he is a Pathways intern at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9 Office of Regional Counsel.

 

Ada Valencia is an Elephant Seal monitoring, interpretation, education, and outreach intern for the Winter and Spring Season 2020–2021. Ada works closely with the elephant seals at Point Reyes assisting in surveying the elephant seal population as well as providing education to the public at Drakes Beach. She went to school at Humboldt State University where she got her bachelor's in Wildlife Management and Conservation. She has worked for both the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service as a biological/wildlife technician.