Preserving Natural Resources
Michael Marinelli ’19, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Park
Major:
Internship title:
Park ranger intern.
How I got this internship:
After interning for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Park in high school, I decided to try for a summer, full-time internship.
What I do, day to day:
I am an interpreter for the park service, meaning that I help educate the public about the park’s resources (plants, animals, history) in hopes of inspiring people to care about and help protect the park. My tasks include designing programs for public presentations, giving public presentations about the park, stocking maps at the trail heads, responding to medical emergencies in the park, leading kids on volunteer service trips, teaching kids about nature and organizing large events that are attended by dignitaries.
Most valuable part of this experience:
It’s valuable to practice expressing my passion for the outdoors and the environment. It is a powerful skill that will help me for the rest of my career and life.
Advice for students considering internships:
Try out new things! Explore some other fields. You might fall in love or you might hate it, but it isn't for that long and it provides good experience and helps you develop a well-rounded skill set and knowledge base.
How it’s helped me:
This internship has helped me realize the skills I need to be successful.
Post-Dickinson plans:
After Dickinson, I hope to become a hydrologist, studying water and its impact on humans, animals and ecosystems. I hope to work on finding a balance between human impacts on water and a healthy planet.
Learn more
- Department of Environmental Studies & Environmental Science
- Interns in Action
- "Internship Reality"
- Career Center
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Published August 1, 2016