The Start of a Journey

Hello all my name is Josh Leahy, one of the members of cohort 6 who together have recently begun the journey to become law enforcement park rangers for the National Park Service. Though this will not be an easy task I know together we make a strong team that is more than ready for the challenge that awaits us.

To get where I am today as part of this journey I must take you back to my childhood. Growing up in Southern New Hampshire in a small suburban town named Londonderry I spent a lot of time outdoors exploring and discovering the world around me. With plenty of apple orchards, trails, and beautiful scenery I had an amazing setting to cultivate my love for the outdoors. Simultaneous and separately I remember around this age going on one of my first field trips around the town. The purpose of this field trip was to discover the history of the area around us. This was the first memory I have of becoming enthralled in history. Learning about everything from the founding of the town to the fact the man our school was named after, Matthew Thornton, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. This experience had helped start in me a great appreciation for history that often lead to me over reading chapters assigned in history class just to learn that little bit more.

To leave my journey just in my childhood would be to dismiss the next very important steps I took to be where I am today. As I grew older I often found myself hearing similar advice to follow the proven path to business school and get a comfortable safe job selling insurance. Though logical through the years my true nature would pull me away from this decision. Through seminars on economics, uninspiring financial seminars, and lukewarm internships spent ending in declined job offers I found myself looking towards a new path. Finding myself pulled by passion I began to look for a career and life I would value and be dedicated towards. Whether being pulled by my never ending itch for the outdoors or continuing appreciation for history I discovered the Pro Ranger Program and immediately went to the information session. The one thing I remember vividly from this presentation is when Ranger Fernandez told me, “there is not one person at this job who will not tell you it is the best in the world.” After hearing that I had no doubt. I am here today ready to begin my journey, together with my fellow cohort, on the best job in the world.