Our Meet Your Ranger series introduces you to the many amazing people who support our Outer Banks national parks every day!
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
Program of study: Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies. I graduated with my master’s last May from Florida State University!
Position in our Outer Banks national parks: Conservation Corps Intern
Where you can be found: Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
Other national parks you have worked at: This is my first job with the National Park Service!
Currently watching: I’ve mostly been replaying some classic PlayStation games recently, including my childhood favorite, the Spyro trilogy!
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love playing video games and listening to podcasts and like to keep in contact with my family back home whenever I can.
What do you like most about the Outer Banks?
The abundance of beautiful locations and all kinds of wildlife. In particular, it’s been really cool to see just how many different types of birds call this part of the Outer Banks home in the winter.
How did you end up in your current position with the National Park Service?
I’m working with the National Park Service through an Individual Placement Internship with the North Carolina Conservation Corps, giving me an in-depth look at what it’s like working as an interpreter within the Park Service.
What does a typical workday or work week look like for you?
At Wright Brothers National Memorial, I usually give one or two of our “Wind and Sand” programs a day, talking all about the Wright brothers and why they chose to come to Kitty Hawk to test out their gliders. I also spend a lot of time researching and reading books, making social media posts, and helping out wherever I can! Recently, I started assisting with an after-school program hosted at the Manteo Library to teach elementary school kids about national parks around the country.
What do you enjoy most about working in our Outer Banks national parks?
I like being able to meet people from all over the place, from locals who had never explored the parks before to visitors who have traveled halfway across the country specifically to visit our site! In the end, almost everyone that stops by finds something they can connect to at our parks, and I enjoy being able to help people make those connections.
What is a favorite memory you have from your time working in the Outer Banks?
One of my favorite things is talking to pilots who have flown to Wright Brothers National Memorial and getting to hear from those who fly today what the Wright brothers and their legacy means to them. It’s a great way to see just how important this history is even today!
Why are our Outer Banks national parks important?
The parks here encompass an incredible amount of history, from the beginning of English colonization in America, to the lifesaving stations here on the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” to the birth of flight and modern transportation. There’s really something here for everyone.
Is there anything else you would like people to know about you or about our Outer Banks national parks?
If you have the chance to visit the Outer Banks, the national parks here are a must-see! I think that everyone can take something away from visiting any one of these sites.