01 Mar Farewell Blog Post

Hello all,

As my internship is coming to an end, there has been much to look back and reflect on these past 5 months as a law enforcement Intern. First and foremost, I would like to thank Environment For The Americas for this opportunity, if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be in this position where I am today and it’s something I will forever be grateful for. Being a law enforcement Intern has been a great experience for me as it has aspired to be everything that I had envisioned prior to beginning this opportunity with the United States Forest Service. By having many mentors such as; Rene Villanueva, Mauro Napoletano, Nikolaus Beer, Justin Haley, Melissa Wise, Johnathan Ares, and Daniel Soria, they have been great to show me the ropes of a Law Enforcement Career. From office days filling out PC statements, to being on patrol, and completing various training, being a Resource Assistant has been a great opportunity for me to work towards becoming a Law Enforcement Officer. At the moment, I have compiled over 900 hours of experience as a Resource Assistant and I am closing in on my 960 hours to receive my direct hire certificate, an accomplishment I am immensely proud of.

Additionally, I have been extended through May to continue working as a Resource Assistant, which is exciting as I will be able to gain more experience working with Law Enforcement. Given the additional time, I hope to be more independent and begin some solo patrols as I can enforce my FPO authority to get more Violation Notices and Incident Reports completed while becoming more familiar with the areas of the Sierra National Forest. Lastly, I would like to announce that I have received a conditional offer to be the next Law Enforcement Officer for the Sierra National Forest, quite possibly one of the most exciting accomplishments that I have received in my life. With an academy date set for May 23rd, I will be a sworn officer by late September. if all goes accordingly and be able to obtain what I have always strived for. With a little under 3 months to go before heading off to academy, I am fully prepping for FLETC with increased physical training, proper nutrition and field experiences. This is my final sign off, again I would like to thank Environment for The Americas for this opportunity and putting me in a position to succeed. Below pictured is a job fair at Fresno State University where I was able to pass out many EFTA Flyers and promote how great a Organization EFTA is for not only what they offer for their interns, but what they stand for. Thank you EFTA for the immense support to make relocating as well as starting a new job a smooth transition, a organization that provides for their interns and supports them ten-fold.