Now four months into the Resource Assistant (RA) fellowship with the United States Forest Service I wanted to share about how I have grown personally and professionally.
On a more personal level, I have seen how difficult but also how important it is to keep yourself motivated despite everything else that is going on around you and which may be out of your control. Being stationed at my site has given me the privilege to take comfort in an outdoor space whenever I feel lost, confused, and frustrated. I know that many and specially those in the most fragile communities across the nation are in great need of access to these green spaces, especially during this pandemic. This is why I take great pride in being a Resource Assistant because I get to share my story with many in this agency; the story of many Latinx families that come from a place in history where our ancestors had a deep connection to the land. And whose descendants today want nothing more than to feel reconnected to nature. I always have to remind myself that if it wasn’t for my parents' courage to come to the U.S I would not be doing the work I am doing today so I look to my parent’s journey, our journey across the land as an inspiration during the most difficult days.
In my time with the research and development branch of the Forest Service, I have come to appreciate the challenges I’ve faced as a learning opportunity. It’s not always easy to admit that I don’t understand or know something or that I feel like I'm failing. But what may look like failure may actually not be the case for those around me. And this is where perspective and attitude matter and is key to true professional growth. From my experience as an RA, I am gaining the confidence to acknowledge the skills I still need to practice and improve on if I want to head in a specific career path. I now understand that this is exactly what the RA opportunity was intended to do. To help people like me understand if we want a career with this agency and if so to ask ourselves, how can my experience today prepare me to get to that position or area of interest? Certain things are not meant to be easy and it’s okay to struggle along the way. These challenges are good challenges and they are helping me reassess my values, goals, and motivations in the professional world.
El Dorado Trail in Placerville, CA near my site. I enjoy long walks on the weekends on this 35-mile long trail system in Northern California.
Agency: U.S Forest Service
Program: Resource Assistant Program (RAP)
Location: Institute for Forest Genetics