Here We Go

Hello everyone, my name is Lauren Butler, and I’m a proud member of cohort 6. I’m a sophomore Environmental Studies major and German minor here at Temple. I’ve spent my whole life growing up around forests, rivers, and taking every advantage I can to be outside. When it came time to leave High School and choose a career path, I was completely lost. I had too many interests, and felt too pressured to choose certain careers. I wanted a physical job, an intellectual job, a job outside, and so on. I needed a school that offered a wide selection of majors and career paths as to not limit myself, and despite my inclination to be in nature, I knew that a city education could offer me opportunities I wouldn’t find elsewhere, so I landed myself at Temple.

I was right about those opportunities.

My choice of major and my application to the ProRanger program coincided perfectly. I noticed that back home in the Poconos, the beautiful landscape I grew up in was being mistreated, over developed, and unappreciated. Learning about what it takes to manage land and preserve it inspired me to become an Environmental Studies major. I have a real passion for the protection of wilderness. I came across the “advertisement” for Temple's ProRanger Program many times in the Temple Honors emails, and before I had found my passion, I dismissed it as a career where you’re forced to wear funny hats. By the third or fourth time I had seen the ad, and had delved into the Ranger website to actually learn about the career, I was extremely intrigued. The ProRanger program embodies the protection of everything I hold passion for. The National Parks have always been places I hold in high esteem, large areas appreciated for their vast resources both natural and historical. To be a Ranger is to dedicate yourself to the protection, maintenance, and enjoyment of others in these magnificent parks. I of course applied, and the moment that I left Preview Day I felt a strong sense that what I was involved in was right for me, something that I wasn’t akin to feeling after so many years of trying to figure out what it is I want to do with my life. The community formed by the ProRanger Program is led by people that I cannot wait to learn from, and is filled with students that nourish the camaraderie, discipline, and excitement that comes with being an NPS Ranger. I am ready to start my journey as a law enforcement officer for the National Park Service.