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.
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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
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