Latino Heritage Intern: Karla Bonilla

I was inspired...

...to intern with the National Park Service once I started reading more about the agency’s desire to become more diverse and inclusive.

NPS Photo / Elizabeth Thakkar

My name is Karla Bonilla and I am a bilingual education/interpretation intern placed at Salem Maritime and Saugus Iron Works National Historic Sites through the Latino Heritage Internship Program (LHIP). As part of my job duties, I am tasked with translating site content from English to Spanish, creating Spanish-language interpretive materials for visitors to enjoy, and collaborating with fellow intern Tahmoor and community partners North Shore Community Development Coalition (NSCDC) on an upcoming exhibit. This exhibit will feature Faceless Dolls, a handicraft from the Dominican Republic which Salem Maritime NHS and NSCDC will use to highlight the Latinx community in Salem and to encourage people to create their own faceless dolls.

I was inspired to intern with the National Park Service once I started reading more about the agency’s desire to become more diverse and inclusive. I had always enjoyed visiting National Parks, but what really drew me in was the nature of the position itself at Salem Maritime and Saugus Iron Works. The posting mentioned collaborating in community outreach initiatives focusing on a surrounding (predominantly) Latinx community and working with a non-profit based there. I had done similar work during my AmeriCorps experience working for City Year LA, so it seemed to be a natural extension of that and an opportunity to learn more about conservation and Latinx community outreach.

I have enjoyed many aspects of working at my National Park Service sites, but the most rewarding aspect of it all has been collaborating with so many passionate and talented people. As I work on my projects, I am able to gain frequent insight and feedback from our contacts at NSCDC, NPS staff, fellow LHIP intern Tahmoor Chadury and more. Furthermore, my sites are incredibly special because I get to work with people who believe in the promise of the agency’s future, and strive to make it more inclusive and diverse. To any youth interested in the conservation field, my advice to you is to get involved in any way you can! Whether you choose to advocate, teach others, or just learn all you can yourself; it all matters and your contribution can add so much.