22 Jun Views from the Office

Hello all,

I’m impressed with the pictures everyone is uploading! I don’t have any especially scenic ones to share yet, but I have some nice posters in my work area  Don’t worry, I went to a concert at Red Rocks a few weeks ago so have a look here.  Legendary venue.

I am in more of a rhythm here at the office now (as much of a rhythm as an intern can experience). The bulk of my work this past week has been legislative. This has opened up a few opportunities to work on projects that require skills new to me.  For example, I am consolidating information from management policies that have to do with frequently requested topics in this department (i.e. “helping people find stuff better”).

Photographers and filmmakers often request to do their work in parks for a variety of reasons, but depending on the circumstances, they may need a permit.  Additionally, there are policies regarding the National Park Service (NPS) insignia that come into play. Basically, people often need to know how they can collaborate with the NPS for different events, and this brings in a lot of questions with answers that can be difficult to untangle.

Researching all this information has taught me how to navigate legal documents so that I can quickly find the parts that are relevant. I am also going to compile the information I find on a web page, and that will be another learning process in itself.

What I like about my job is that it’s building confidence. I am finding I have the ability to figure things out that I have little prior knowledge on.  The internet provides a vast number of resources for us to use in figuring out how to do things, but the skill we can develop ourselves is knowing how to ask the right questions.

In other news, I was pleased to have Dalia Dorta here for a site visit last Thursday! She was helpful and thorough about making sure my experience is going well.  We enjoyed some Cuban food with my supervisor, Vanessa Lacayo, over lunch, and it was good to feel connected to the people that are facilitating this whole arrangement for me here in Denver. I am finding that I am surrounded by high-quality, boss ladies this summer. It reassures me that I belong where my passions take me, and that I can be a great leader. I want others to know that a male-female balance in the work place is a pretty powerful thing, because we can balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Also, it’s fun! I never realized how much I’ve desired female mentorship in my life, and it’s just an absolute joy.

Bye for now!

-Tangy