The Partnership for the National Trails System is excited to announce the 2021-22 Trail Apprentice Program cohort—it’s largest to date.
The Trail Apprentice Program provides learning, peer exchange, and networking opportunities for students and young professionals between the ages of 18 and 28 who are considering careers in trails and public lands.
After switching to a virtual program, for the second consecutive year we’ve have more applicants than ever before. We’re excited to see such enthusiasm for National Trails and we’re pleased to introduce the 2021-22 PNTS Trail Apprentices.
Sofia Bates
New York, New York
What do you hope to gain from your participation in the Trail Apprentice Program?
I hope to gain insight about the way the National Trails program works and makes the trails the experience they are, and I also want to find a sense of community within the program and meet others who have an interest in the trails as much as I do.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
I am currently an Environmental Studies major, and have past work with my local State Parks and Wildlife department, and I hope to do work in similar environments following graduation that involve overseeing the wellbeing of natural land and educational opportunities for the public.
Rosa Brandt
Sebastopol, California
Why are National Trails important to you?
Throughout portions of 2016 and 2017 I hiked 2,000 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail with my sister, one large section at a time. This amazing experience gave me a whole new appreciation for the work that goes into building a trail, the upkeep, and all the time and effort put in behind the scenes to protect a trail and the land around it. Based on the hiking experiences I have been lucky to have on the PCT and a portion of the Arizona Trail, I understand the importance of protecting and preserving these areas for current and future generations to experience.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
Some of my past jobs have been intertwined with public lands, and as someone who believes in protecting these resources and landscapes, I can absolutely see myself pursuing a career that has some involvement with public lands and/or National Trails. I want to help people experience and therefore gain an appreciation for and an interest in protecting our public lands.
Austin Burton
Gainesville, Florida
Why are National Trails important to you?
National Trails offer a life changing opportunity for everyone that chooses to enjoy them. These life changing opportunities are for both groups of trail users with day-hikers or thru-hikers. Everyone and anyone who interacts with our National Trails becomes part of the story that stretches many generations into our past and will continue with future generations. To me, our National Trails system represents a webbing of opportunities across the U.S. for us to all come together and connect with each other and with nature.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
I want to continue to expand access to public lands and our National Trails with a more diverse audience. I hope to explore more ways to connect economics with the outdoors in a positive, mutualistic relationship. I hope to work with different trail organizations in the policy realm to close the gaps between local, state, and federal government with our public lands.
Louis Cimmino
Berkeley, California
What drew you to the Trail Apprentice Program?
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
As an aspiring Park Ranger, I foresee myself spending ample time in the Great Outdoors, especially on a number of our public lands. And I know that my time spent working alongside National Trails personnel will serve to set me up for ample future success in that regard, with my time here providing me key resources for managing Trail and public lands as I begin to take the first steps along my career path. One of my primary aspirations within my greater career goal is interacting with and positively impacting the lives of as many people as I can by engaging them with Nature; and as a rising Conservation Leader for my generation, knowing how to help people get outdoors and recreate on public lands in a sustainable manner will be beyond useful, I’m sure.
Callum Cintron
Newton, New Jersey
What drew you to the Trail Apprentice Program?
I’m interested in learning about numerous areas of environmental conservation and how humans interact with the environment. The intersection of land conservation, policy and Indigenous issues is a major interest of mine and the TAP conference has workshops on all of these. The apprentice program will also allow me to meet other young environment lovers and network with them to improve our earth.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
I’m hoping to work in Native American issues. Two of my main interests are sovereignty and land back/sacred site protection and the national parks are some of the last protected land of Native Peoples. Safe access to public lands, especially those that hold sacred sites, and giving land back to Tribes is important to me.
Taylor Cole
Pocatello, Idaho
What drew you to the Trail Apprentice Program?
For my Masters thesis I conducted a qualitative study on the Pacific Northwest Trail. Ever since, I’ve loved spending time on National Scenic Trails and getting to know the community that utilizes them. The Trail Apprentice Program seemed to be a way to get more involved in our National Trail system and further my career in getting more folks involved on our public trails.
What do you hope to gain from your participation in the Trail Apprentice Program?
Through the Trail Apprentice Program I am hoping to gain a better understanding of how to transition into working directly for private and public agencies for our public lands and National Trails. I look forward to talking with folks inside of agencies and learning from their experiences.
Emma Connors
Bozeman, Montana
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
Having grown up exploring public lands, I plan to spend my life giving back by working for the outdoors. Specifically, I have several things in mind: fly fishing guide, trail crew, or graphic designer for outdoors/trails-focused organizations — or all three! Essentially, I want to combine my skills and passions to support the public lands I love, from trails to rivers and beyond.
What do you hope to gain from your participation in the Trail Apprentice Program?
Experience is how I learn best. TAP seems like the perfect way for me to learn about America’s trails and how they’re managed. By chatting with leaders in the trails system, I hope to get all my questions about how to work for trails answered. Meeting other folks interested in trails will show me a glimpse into all the different opportunities out there. Since I want to spend my life working for the outdoors, this program fits right in with my goals and will be a great jump-start for me as I graduate college in a few months and start my career.
Madison Crouch
Charlottesville, Virginia
What drew you to the Trail Apprentice Program?
I have thru hiked the Colorado Trail and the Arizona Trail, as well as lived 15 minutes away from the Appalachian Trail my entire life, so hiking and camping have always been very important to me. I was interested in the Trail Apprentice Program because I want to learn about ways to incorporate my love of nature and hiking into a career!
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
I am very passionate about the environment and want to work in the environmental engineering or conservation fields. National Trails and other public lands provide important habitat to many plants and animals, as well as being a great way to get people interested in protecting the environment, so I think my environmental career aspirations intersect with them in many ways.
Charlie Dodge
New York, New York
Why are National Trails important to you?
I know that I share enthusiasm for NTS’s mission of promoting the enjoyment and appreciation of trails while encouraging greater public access. I have always loved hiking and spending time outdoors. Some of my most treasured childhood memories stemmed from annual family trips to various National Parks from Yosemite, to Yellowstone. I love learning about the history of the trails I’m traveling along. I would love to help enable better access to those kinds of experiences for others.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
Working as the Oregon-California Trails Association intern for the past 5 months has really opened my eyes to the field of trails preservation. Personally I am fascinated by Historic Trails and would love to explore the diverse stories that can be found along them–and that have been long overlooked in historic retellings. Currently I am interested in researching the stories of Asian Immigrants along Historic Trails.
Mallory England
Nashville, Tennessee
What drew you to the Trail Apprentice Program?
I love backpacking on and exploring our nation’s trails, so when I saw the opportunity to learn more about them, I jumped on it. I’m looking forward to building community with others who are passionate about trails and the outdoors. I also want to learn more about stewardship and opportunities to care for our trails.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
My dream job is to be a State or National Park Ranger. I want to ensure that park visitors understand the history of the land they’re exploring and that they can do so safely. Our public lands are some of the most beautiful in the world and my goal is to play a part in their conservation and to interpret their stories for generations to come.
Dru Falco
Golden, Colorado
Why are National Trails important to you?
As an avid runner and hiker, it’s extremely important to me to have access to trails! I feel so lucky to be able to experience the beauty of nature, and walking or running on trails are either a rest for my social brain or an easy way to bond with other people. Being able to power myself up and down a trail makes me feel strong and capable, which I bring into other aspects of my life. I want others to experience these things, too!
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
I work in logistics for an outdoor education program, where we run outdoor and environmental ed courses for students at low-income schools. We’re always looking for different activities to spark and hold students’ interests and help them become advocates for trails and public lands.
Courtney Godbolt
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Why are National Trails important to you?
I grew up in the city of Philadelphia and did not often travel beyond its borders. I did, however, experience isolated experiences that helped to foster my interest in trails and overall natural environment. Beside being interested in understanding what goes on behind the scenes to maintain national trails I want to learn what role I play in ensuring the trails are still present for future generations.
What are you career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
An aspiration of mine is to work in some capacity of conserving native plant species and pollinators. I am not entirely sure what the opportunities are that exist for my interests and would like the opportunity to network with experts in PNTS to learn more.
Tobias Groene
Kalamazoo, Michigan
What drew you to the Trail Apprentice Program?
I’ve been drawn to the outdoors my whole life. I just completed my degree and recently moved states. I thought this is a good opportunity to change careers. Naturally I looked at my interests and the outdoors is a big one for me. As I began to research careers I found this program and thought it is a good opportunity to explore careers in an area I’ve taken advantage of my whole life.
What do you hope to gain from your participation in the Trail Apprentice Program?
I hope to gain insight on realistic career paths in the National Trail System. Through networking and workshops I want to gain exposure to as much information as possible in the trail system. Eventually, I want a career that revolves around the outdoors and hope this is a step in that direction.
Clay Groetsch
Auburn, Alabama
Why are National Trails important to you?
I grew up near one of the most iconic National Trails, the Appalachian Trail. I took for granted the easy access I had to the outdoors by virtue of where I lived, but as I got older I realized how difficult it was to access the outdoors in other parts of the country, especially trails as well cared for as the AT. I believe that the National Trail system provides access to and protects the history of these trails that otherwise may be destroyed or cut off from their surrounding communities.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
I would like to work with the National Forest Service on improving access and opportunities to recreate on public lands. As National Forests are free to use and multiuse, I believe they could be the cornerstone of accessible public lands.
Lydia Jankowski
Amherst, Massachusetts
What drew you to the Trail Apprentice Program?
I currently serve as the Outreach Assistant for the New England National Scenic Trail. Through this position, I have become increasingly interested in a career involving trails and outdoor recreation. The TAPs program seemed like a perfect opportunity to grow my network within outdoor and conservation work.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
Right now, I am an undergraduate at UMass Amherst pursuing dual degrees in Sustainable Community Development and Communication, as well as a certificate in Civic Engagement and Service Learning. I hope to combine all these interests by pursuing a Masters in Regional Planning. I would love to enter into a career, such as park or trail planning, where I am able to help provide more access to the outdoors, especially in underserved communities.
Shuh-Marraka Johnson
Pearl, Mississippi
What drew you to the Trail Apprentice Program?
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
Planning; it is important and related to National Trails because it is important that we have individuals that are prepared to preserve, protect and sustain natural trails and public lands.
Justine Kapitzke
Madison, Wisconsin
What drew you to the Trail Apprentice Program?
I learned about the Ice Age National Scenic Trail when I moved to Madison, Wisconsin. I was amazed to learn about this trail that snaked its way throughout the entire state, following a path sculpted by glaciers many many years ago. The Ice Age Trail provides wonderful recreation and connection to communities throughout Wisconsin. I was drawn to the Trail Apprentice Program because I want to learn more about how the National Trail System works, and gain skills to more effectively communicate the value of the Ice Age Trail, and all National Trails. I am excited to learn from all of the workshops and fellow peers in the Trail Apprentice Program.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
I want to help protect and conserve natural spaces. I’m not a scientist, so for me, that manifests in advocacy, education, and communication. National Trails act as corridors connecting a network of different habitats throughout great distances. Being involved with the Ice Age Trail Alliance has shown me the necessary role that advocacy, education, and communication plays in the success of National Trails. I would love to continue working with National Trails.
Jeremy Kemp
Washington, D.C.
Why are National Trails important to you?
Beyond personal recreation interest, I firmly believe that building out the entire National Trails System offers important access benefits (more miles of trail spread out around the country) and will be increasingly understood as critical to large landscape conservation/connectivity and climate resilience. Someone once told me that land protection can be thought of as “snakes and blobs” conservation, whereby blobs are large squarish tracts of preserved landscapes and snakes are ecological corridors that connect them. National trails are the best snakes in the federal lands inventory and I have a keen interest in elevating their status within both the public’s and federal government’s eye.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
I am an environmental lawyer with a focus on public lands and natural resources law. During law school, I wrote a 20,000-word independent study about completion / gap-filling issues on national scenic trails. Through that research, I talked with land protection staff at a majority of PNTS’s NST constituents. I still have an interest in more conventional environmental law (e.g. working for EPA/DOI or Sierra Club / Earthjustice / NRDC), but I am considering what my options would look like if I dove head first into the national trails world.
Alexsis Lever
South Jordan, Utah
What drew you to the Trail Apprentice Program?
I have been growing more passionate about environmentalism and conservation over the past few years and am looking to move my career in that direction. As someone who hikes and wants to preserve the trails in the Wasatch Mountains, this was a perfect opportunity to participate in a project I care for and learn more about careers in the environmental realm.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
My general goal right now is to return to school and obtain my Master’s degree in Environmental Science. I currently work as a data analyst and have my Bachelor’s in Applied Mathematics. I believe in the power of numbers and data and hope to apply my problem solving skills directly in the realm of conservation and sustainability.
Lena Milton
Mashpee, Massachusetts
What do you hope to gain from your participation in the Trail Apprentice Program?
I’m hoping to gain a better understanding of what issues face the National Trails and how organizations are working to solve them. As a fairly recent college graduate, I’m still exploring the professional world, and I’m excited to get a taste of the many different roles and organizations out there that all share my love of the outdoors and passion for conservation. I’m also looking forward to speaking with other young people with similar interests.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
While I am still figuring out exactly where I’d like my career to take me, my greatest interests are public policy, writing, environmental conservation, and outdoor recreation. I’d love to work for an organization whose mission aligns with mine to protect (and expand) access to public lands and trails for a wide variety of recreation types.
Juana Parral
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
What drew you to the Trail Apprentice Program?
I heard about this program via word of mouth of a fellow trail enthusiast friend of mine. When I read about the program, I was excited to find an opportunity for young people to receive training and insight on work for National Trails, and access to necessary training and resources to engage in a career that they really, truly care about and love, and make the difference that having a career in this field often does.
What do you hope to gain from your participation in the Trail Apprentice Program?
Stephanie Piperno
Washington, DC
Why are National Trails important to you?
I believe that the National Trails are a gateway to other outdoor recreation opportunities and can open the door for many people who may be intimidated by outdoor recreation. Trails are often times welcoming and accessible for all user types (walkers, rollers, bicyclists, and runners). I want to help educate people about the National Trails and continue to grow the trail network across our country.
What is a memorable trail experience you’d like to share?
Some of my best memories on trails involve seeing people walking with their families or teaching their young children how to ride a bike on a trail. In urban areas especially, seeing people connect with nature and use trails for family outings brings me so much joy! You can walk out onto the Metropolitan Branch Trail (which is right in my backyard) and see people scooting, walking their dog, roller blading, walking to work, or out for a run. Trails serve so many types of users and I want to work to continue to make these spaces welcoming and safe for all users.
Nels Rasmussen
Salt Lake City, Utah
Why are National Trails important to you?
They allow everyone to use amazing trails to go through our public lands and enjoy all they have to offer. They are a great resource for everyone.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
I would like to work for the Forest Service. I believe this will help me make great connections and networking to accomplish that.
Callie Smith
Boulder, Colorado
What drew you to the Trail Apprentice Program?
I have always loved hiking and exploring on trails, however, it was my time in college as an outdoor leadership guide that helped me learn to love the National Trail System. I was in awe of the AT and it’s many huts and unique quirks. I then moved onto working with the Continental Divide Trail and started working with the Continental Divide Trail and grew to love the National Trail System even more.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
I would love to work in the outdoor recreation/conservation non-profit space for as long as possible. I have always loved the social science/humanities side of conservation and I am a huge people person so I love to work at the intersections of communities and the environment. This is closely related to all public lands, including the National Trails. Public lands are often where people and conservation meet. It can also be an important tool in expanding stewardship of lands and creating a passion for conservation within people. Additionally, I am very passionate about environmental justice and equity work in conservation and the outdoors. I believe that this work is essential in having a sustainable future. Our public lands do not have the best history when it comes to inclusion and equity and so this work is also essential to increase stewardship and make sure that all people are able to appreciate our beautiful public lands and National Trails.
Lauren Swett
Portland, Oregon
What drew you to the Trail Apprentice Program?
I’m interested in diversifying the faces and narratives of recreation and experiences on our public lands. They are a resource that define my well-being and I wish to share that with others.
Why are National Trails important to you?
National Trails envelope so many different aspects of culture, communication, and ways of being. I care about National Trails because I thoroughly believe that a lot of positive things happen when people develop a relationship to place and push themselves into new comfort zones through outdoor recreation.
Julianna Tresca
Raleigh, North Carolina
Why are National Trails important to you?
I am an avid hiker and outdoorswoman. I love being out in nature and learning about how to expand and utilize our national trails system for the public good.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
I want to become a certified hydrologist/environmental scientist working within the government sector and I wanted to see what job openings were like in the National Trails System.
Andrew Wayrynen
Paonia, Colorado
Why are National Trails important to you?
In 2019 I completed a five-month thru-hike of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, during which time I found a new home in public land. I have seen the effects of overuse and neglect from participants, as well as the impressive teamwork across states and jurisdictions required to make these trails what they are. As a heavy user of these spaces myself, I feel a great responsibility to play a role in their continued contribution to society.
What are your career aspirations and how do they relate to National Trails or other public lands?
I am interested in furthering my career in environmental education, which is inextricably related to public lands. National Trails serve many purposes, but getting people out there fosters a profound appreciation for the outdoors and in turn a curiosity in the natural systems that they run through.
