After this training, I had the chance to participate in the Research and Development Resource Assistants Program Intern Leadership Engagement in Washington, DC. This engagement activity was tailored for interns to be able to participate of a series of panels and activities aligned to the USDA Forest Service mission: Caring for the land and serving the people. We were able to learn of legislative affairs, work culture in the Forest Service, science across the agency, cross-deputy collaborations, engaging and working with partners, the National Fire Program, the International Programs, among others. It was a very enlightening experience to hear about all the different programs the Forest Service has. I also personally had the chance to meet with leaders I work with such as Beattra Wilson, the Washington Office Urban Forestry Program Manager, and Phillip Rodbell, the National Program Leader for Research and Development.

Both experiences were really insightful as we move forward during our internship and our careers in the US Forest Service. I believe that having the opportunity to make connections with other regions, leadership, and other interns is the pathway to the future of the agency as we learn and collaborate among each other. After only five short months, we have absorbed a lot of information, but there are still things to learn, people to meet, and new fields to explore.

In the picture from left to right: Phillip Rodbell, National Program Leader for Research and Development; Aleigh Cocroft, Urban Ecologist and fellow RAP intern; Beattra Wilson, Washington Office Urban Forestry Program Manager; and myself Jo Ann Santana López, Natural Resources Specialist RAP intern.