28 May Intro: Chris Para McComas

Hello everyone, I am Chris Para Mccomas, a senior at UC Berkeley and my major is American Studies with an Emphasis in Urban Community structures, population, and influence, with a minor in Journalism. I am the public history and interpretation intern for the Juan Bautista de Anza Historic Trail, which stretches from Mexico to San Francisco. I am looking forward to working on relevant and accessible creative projects for the community, with input from my small team while learning from other interns’ work and processes, I hope to further polish my creative storytelling and professional skills. I am from Downtown Los Angeles and I love exploring, skateboarding, art, and music. When working on any project, creative or academic I keep my home and its most marginalized individuals in mind. My community as well as my family, has been the motivating factors in my success as a student at Cal.

Prior to my start date, my supervisor Christopher Bentley and I drove to Point Reyes in Marin County to complete the background check and began getting to know each other while I gained a better understanding of the position and program. Then during our first day (which was a Field Day in San Francisco’s Presidio that intersects the trail), we met up with another intern, Eduardo, and his supervisor. We had conversations about the trial, program/schedule and the different meanings and types of interpretation, and the direction in which the field itself is taking. I am very excited to continue to visit sites and continue to work towards my project. Thank you so much to LHIP and the Environment for the Americas for this opportunity!