Charles Papacostas ProRanger Seminar: Looking Ahead to the Summer

Once I learned of the ProRanger Program during my sophomore year, I was immediately attracted for several reasons. Growing up, I thought of pursuing a career in law enforcement, and once I read about what it is like to work as a U.S. Park Ranger, I was immediately interested. I visited several national parks as a kid, such as Gettysburg, Colonial National Historical Park, and Fort McHenry, to name a few. Throughout my life I have enjoyed studying history, particularly American history, and after hearing of a federal law enforcement career where I could work to help preserve and protect such beautiful treasures and lands, I was instantly hooked. Lastly, it seemed like an excellent opportunity to make new friends and form connections with people who have many years of experience working for the National Park Service.
For my second internship with the program, I will be returning to Prince William Forest Park, where I spent last summer. Upon hearing that I would be back at that park for another summer, I was very excited, since I had such a fantastic experience last year. This summer, I hope to build on what I learned about law enforcement from the rangers there. I also look forward to more wildland fire training, as I enjoyed the field exercises we did last year, and this is another aspect of the job that is really interesting to me. The history of the park is intriguing as well, particularly with the use of the land as the training ground for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II, so I hope to gain more knowledge about this too. All in all, I am thrilled for a summer full of more meaningful experiences and opportunities to learn, and it sure cannot come soon enough.