The first few weeks of my fellowship with Hispanic Access Foundation and the US Fish and Wildlife Service have been fast-paced. I have learned and am continuing to learn so much about the way federal work is done. My project, which is centered on the facilitation of geospatial data management practices, involves a lot of people-wrangling. This means I get to meet and work with tons of different people (virtually, of course) and hear their perspectives. Everyone I have so far has been really kind and helpful in working toward my fellowship goals.

Part of my project is to create Esri Story Maps that detail some of the big data management success stories happening in the Fish and Wildlife Service now. Interviewing the people involved on these data management projects has been really eye-opening to the scope of what the Service manages, and how individual employees can make a significant difference in the way things are done.

I was able to join an Employee Resource Group (ERG) which has shown another dimension of federal employment. It was interesting to witness people who are working all over the country and at all levels of government come together to discuss personal struggles. I’m looking forward to seeing the different pieces of my fellowship fall together in the coming months and developing working relationships with some of the many phenomenal people I have met so far.

Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Program: US Fish & Wildlife Service - DFP

Location: Tennessee Ecological Services Field Office