Every day I work on digital media projects including designing websites, news releases, and newsletters on SharePoint and the government’s messaging platform, GovDelivery. I also do a substantial amount of work with Adobe Creative Cloud to enhance photo and video content. While I am passionate about digital strategic communication and I love the work that I am doing, I spend 40 hours a week in front of a computer at the Main Interior Building or at my apartment. Therefore, I do not get much opportunity to complete site visits or interact with the in-person components of my organization.  

Thus, when approached with the opportunity from my supervisor and Evelyn from the Hispanic Access Foundation (HAF) to visit Harper’s Ferry for a couple of days, I was ecstatic. I never imagined my first “business trip” would take me to a national park nor that I would only be 22 years old. Growing up, I watched my father go on hundreds of business trips to different cities and municipalities across the globe but was always stuck in offices. Thankfully, I got to spend much of my trip looking at different physical media projects, meeting other HAF interns, touring the facilities, and outdoors hiking the Appalachian Trail.  

My visit to Harper’s Ferry Center was incredible. First, I met with the HAF interns stationed there and got a glimpse into all the awesome projects they were working on ranging from textile and print conservation to improving media accessibility efforts nationwide. Then, I went on a few tours of the two main sites and got to see many cool artifacts preserved there. Some highlights include a catalog of women’s ranger uniforms throughout the last century, the pen former President Woodrow Wilson used to sign the National Park Service into law, and original posters from the Works Progress Administration’s campaign in the late 1930s. Seeing these up close and personal was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will never forget.  

I also got the chance to spend some quality time outdoors. On my last day in Harper’s Ferry, I hiked from the Harper’s Ferry Center to Jefferson Rock—a (now) suspended rock that Thomas Jefferson allegedly stood on and exclaimed how beautiful the area was. He was onto something. I was genuinely awestruck by the rolling hills of West Virginia and the breathtaking beauty of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. After visiting Jefferson Rock, I hiked on the Appalachian Trail to the lower historic town and back into Maryland. Once I finished my hike, I finished out my trip in the lower historic town and obtained a few Harper’s Ferry mementos to remember my time there.  

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Harper’s Ferry as a HAF/NPS intern. Everyone I met was kind, welcoming, and inclusive. Spending a couple of days away from D.C., but not too far away from home (Harper’s Ferry is only 1.5 hours outside of the city), was a welcomed opportunity. I hope I get the chance to visit Harper’s Ferry again soon.

Agency: National Park Service

Program: Resource Assistant Program (RAP)

Location: Washington Office Region 1