New to the Crew

New to the Crew

Hello fellow rangers and National Park Service enthusiasts!

          My name is Sarah Dover and I personally invite you to follow me on my journey through the National Park Service as part of Cohort 7 in Temple University’s ProRanger Program. Once the summer begins, I will be sharing weekly updates on my life and experiences as a ProRanger. My hopes for this blog are to provide a sincere and somewhat candid insight into pursuing a career as a law enforcement park ranger for the National Park Service.

          I grew up in a small rural community in Lancaster County, PA where Amish horse-and-buggies don’t get a second-glance (I encourage you to google image horse-and-buggy), so moving to north Philadelphia was pretty radical. What drove me to the city was the desire to expand my social and political horizons, the plethora of career opportunities, and the wild number of food trucks on campus…my favorite being the crepe truck. Over the past four years, I’ve had the pleasure of being a senior peer educator for the Wellness Resource Center, becoming and volunteering as an emergency medical technician, and of course, joining the ProRanger program. In my free time, I love to rock climb and boulder, hike, and road-trip to national parks!  It’s crazy to think that in a little over two months, I will be graduating with a bachelor of arts in psychology with a minor in criminal justice and upon completion of the ProRanger Program, a certificate in national park service management!

          

          My path to becoming a ProRanger has been a winding one!  After working a summer as an outdoor program director for a neighboring parks and recreation department, my eyes were opened to a nearby position as a seasonal park ranger for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. This was truly a transformative experience for me! The position exposed me to my knack for emergency medicine and started my pursuit to become a law enforcement park ranger. The following summer, I packed up my car and drove to the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado (it’s ok to be jealous) to work in visitor transportation and use assistance. It was here that I got my first real taste of what it was like be employed by the National Park Service. I can ensure you that it was just as cool as it sounds. To learn more, I utilized my time after hours by shadowing divisions like natural resources, climbing protection, law enforcement, and participating in search and rescue efforts. I feel very fortunate for being supported by the parks’ staff and having these opportunities to develop my love for our public lands, visitor safety, and natural resources.   

          As of right now, I don’t know where my summer internship will be and what adventures may ensue. Some of the uncertainty of location stems from the government shutdown that happened this year. My remark is not on the shutdown itself (there have been shutdowns in the past and most likely in the future), but simply to recognize the dedication and passion of my fellow ProRangers (past and present), the ProRanger Program and other government workers for handling any bumps in the road with perseverance. I am confident that no matter where I end up this summer, it will be incredible!

See you on the flip side, 

ProRanger Dover