06 Jun From NPS Park to Regional Office – Cristina Ramírez

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 days after graduating I started my position as the Centennial Volunteer Ambassador at Valley Forge National Historical Park, and stayed there for two years co-managing the volunteer and youth program. After my LHIP internship, I will start graduate school at University of Colorado – Boulder and complete a Master’s in Sustainability Planning and Management. I am excited to learn about a new division and type of work within the National Park Service, and to experience working on a different level of this organization.

Growing up in Puerto Rico I never realized that there was a national park there – San Juan National Historic Site – despite flying kites on the grassy slopes and playing on the rocky forts. It was not until high school and college that I learned more about the National Park Service (NPS) and Forest Service presence on the island. Through Girl Scouts I was introduced to the superintendent of El Yunque National Forest, where I later interned for two summers during college. My love for the national parks has only grown. I spent many weekends hiking and camping in Shenandoah National Park, and seek out such sites while on vacation. On our road trip from Pennsylvania to Colorado, we hit five national parks alone! We stopped by Cuyahoga Valley National Park, picnicked on the beaches of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, drove through Badlands National Park, toured Jewel Cave National Monument, and visited Devil’s Tower National Monument. I cannot wait to explore this region, give back to the NPS, and help connect the local communities to these special places.