Que Onda Plebe, My name is Geovanni (Nanacatl), and I recently graduated from Humboldt State University with a degree in Wildlife Conservation and Applied Ecology as well with a Minor In Geospatial Analysis. I am originally from the Santa Ana/Anaheim area of California. My...
Saludos, I am done with my training now! Yesterday I completed my First Aid and CPR certification training, and am ready to (hopefully) handle whatever comes my way while here at work and maybe in life. Now, since I am done with the training,...
Hello everyone! I have finally arrived to the East Bay Area of California, and have just begun my position at John Muir National Historic Site. I feel thrilled and grateful to have been given another opportunity to intern for the Latino Heritage Internship Program. I...
My name is Eduardo J. Chaidez, and I was born and raised in Oakland, California. Like many other high school Latinx students from Oakland, I dropped out (only 54.4 % of Latinx high school students are graduating in Oakland, according to the San Jose Mercury). I...
[caption id="attachment_9667" align="alignright" width="300"] Everglades National Park crocodile[/caption] A few weeks ago, I embarked on a road trip from Southern California to Florida. Growing up during the winter breaks my dad would drive the family from California to Mexico. Familiar with road trips I...
While many of the other fellow LHIP interns get a view of the great outdoors, I get a nice view of the city in Downtown Atlanta! As much as I love being outside, I always found myself to be more of a city...
The days before my departure for my internship as the environmental educator at the Grand Canyon are creeping up quicker and quicker. The people closest to me give me questioning looks when I mention the butterflies I have for this newest journey. This is because...
[caption id="attachment_9994" align="alignright" width="225"] Great Falls[/caption] Well after two full weeks of my internship with the team at Great Falls, MD on the C&O Canal I can gladly say that my time has been well spent! These two weeks have flown by...
Hello, everybody! My name is Rocio Gomez and I graduated last year from California State University San Bernardino with a BA in History with a concentration in Chinese history. While I was still a student I volunteered for a public archaeology project at Manzanar...
Well, I made it! After a long and desolate drive, the large Grand Canyon signs began to appear on the side of the road. With each mile my excitement increased. There were pullouts and overlooks every half mile. Thank goodness I resisted from pulling out...
Hello guys! I am now on my second week of training, and it's been great! Currently I am working at the Visitor Services until later in June when I get to start planning my own educational outreach programs. Visitor Services is actually a blast...
Hello everyone! So my first week in Grand Canyon has been more than I could imagine. First off, I know I said I hated driving, but it turned out to be beautiful. My back hurt by the end of it, but I definitely got to...
[caption id="attachment_9903" align="alignnone" width="300"] Ranger Eric swears in a Junior Ranger. Photo courtesy of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.[/caption] One of my favorite internship assignments entails staffing the Junior Ranger Activity Center (also referred to as The JRAC). This center attracts hundreds of...
Hi all! So this is the second week of my time in New Mexico, aka the "Land of Enchantment," a description written on every license plate in the state. Let me start at the beginning of the week. On my day off I...
For my project with the National Trails Intermountain Regional Office, I will be putting together a set of interpretive materials about the history of Route 66 and Hispanic heritage along the road. It's an exciting project, but also a massive undertaking when it comes to...
Unlike many of this year's Latino Heritage Internship Program (LHIP) interns, I did not have to relocate for my internship with the National Trails Intermountain Regional Office. Instead, this summer I will be following a familiar pattern: traveling to and from the University of New...
Skagway, Alaska, is a unique place. As many as twenty of the historic buildings are maintained and preserved by the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (KLGO), but the entirety of the town does not fall under National Park Service (NPS) jurisdiction. A...
Hello! My name is Cristina Ramírez, and I will be working in the Public Affairs Office at the Intermountain Regional Office this summer. I am originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and went to school at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. A few...
I have been working at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve for about five days now and, let me tell you, it is absolutely beautiful!! I live in a shared house inside the park and the view from my window is breathtaking,...
Hello all! My name is Jennifer Orellana, and I am the daughter of two immigrant parents from El Salvador. I am currently a student at Metropolitan State University of Denver studying Sports Management with a minor in Recreation Services. I enjoy activities such as hiking, camping, climbing,...