Meet Precious Vicente, a Park Ranger at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument !
How did you find yourself at NPS?
Before joining a conservation corps, I didn’t have a clear direction for what I wanted to do with my life. After graduating high school in 2017, I went to Northern Arizona University (NAU), where I was majoring in Criminal Justice and Applied Indigenous Studies. I didn’t continue after my first year because it wasn’t something I was truly passionate about. In my heart, I was passionate about learning my O’odham culture and history. I missed being in my own community. After my time at NAU, I took on odd jobs close to home so I could work and still have time to fulfill my cultural obligations. I worked at Staples as a Sales Associate for about a year, then moved onto working for our Gila River Hotel and Casinos. I worked at Lone Butte and Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casinos as a barback and security over the span of three years. From there, I went on to FedEx, where I spent my summer in a 110-degree warehouse, shipping out packages. After about four years of building up security, bartending, and package handling experience…I was unemployed. I stopped working to help my family who was going through several challenges.
What internship opportunities have you participated in with NPS?
Being left with no job and no source of income, I began to settle and didn’t think my life was going anywhere. Then the Gila River Indian Community Facebook page posted a flier from our partner American Conservation Experience (ACE). ACE was looking for interns at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Having no knowledge of ACE or the Traditional Trades Advancement Program (TTAP), I decided to put in an application anyway. I then met Bianca Wahkinney, who was our liaison through the TTAP program. Bianca, an Indigenous woman herself who had experience in conservation, explained the importance of having more Indigenous people involved in these programs. This conversation sparked interest in me joining a conservation corps, and I became a TTAP member through ACE.One of the unique opportunities I had was being able to work on a historic adobe wall within the park. Even though it wasn’t prehistoric it was a great learning experience being able to learn how to make Adobe bricks and how to install them. Following TTAP, I participated in a 3-month internship with Conservation Legacy as a Cultural Resource Intern. I worked alongside National Park Service rangers to give educational programs to the public and build tribal connections. After completing my term with Conservation Legacy and receiving the AmeriCorps Education Award, I accepted a position with the National Park Service as a Park Ranger at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
