12 Jun New World In My Hometown

I have been an intern at San Antonio Missions National Park for two weeks now.

I grew up in San Antonio my whole life, so I am familiar with the city, but this internship has brought new sites and places I never knew existed. San Antonio Missions have a different Missions, and, luckily for me, most are a short drive away from me. The paved trails have been my escape for these past few months; I love to ride along the San Antonio River admiring its beautiful scenery.

Although meetings and the work settings have changed significantly because of the pandemic, it is comforting to be greeted by friendly faces that already know how to pronounce my name! I feel a part of the team regardless if I have not met them face to face.

Most of my day is consisted of phone calls and zoom meetings. For the first few days our conversations were meant to brainstorm ideas to have our audience interact with our park. Seeing as we cannot plan physical events, we have thought up of ideas to have the public engage with us virtually! We have also been discussing our plans for Latino Conservation Week, and how we will be celebrating virtually with the public. The majority of San Antonio’s population is Latinx, and we want to bring awareness on how they unconsciously practice sustainability and environment conservation in their everyday life. I have also created a few videos that have been published on the park’s social media pages. These constant posts help us connect with the community.

I have learned so much about San Antonio Missions and the National Park Service within this short time that I have been working here, and I am excited for what is yet to come!