Last updated: March 5, 2025
Article
My Park Story: Kelsey Brandt

Photo courtesy of Kelsey Brandt
I did not grow up near many national parks, so the National Park Service was not something I became super familiar with until I started my position as a Student Conservation Association digital communications intern for the National Park Service Youth and Young Adult Programs Division. I visited Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park as a child, but I do not think I knew the significance of it until I was much older. I remember my first time on a boat was when we took the short ride over to Fort Sumter. I stepped off into the old ruins of the fort, and it felt like I was in another world.

Photo Courtesy of Jasmine Nelson

Graphics designed by Kelsey Brandt for NPS
I have enjoyed this internship so much and I am truly grateful to the wonderful Youth and Young Adult Programs team for supporting me along the way. I have had so many opportunities for growth, from leadership trainings to leadership conferences like The Corps Network Conference and the Annual Career and Leadership workshop in Washington, DC. At The Corps Network Conference, I had the opportunity to network with partner organizations like the National Park Foundation, and other U.S. Department of Interior agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
This experience taught me that networking is a crucial tool for professional growth. There are so many people out there who are willing to help in so many different areas, and there will always be people out there willing to share their wisdom with you. I encourage networking in any internship role to gain knowledge and tools that can help to enhance your work. The other interns have all been in national park sites doing work in a variety of fields like biology, interpretation, and traffic monitoring. It has been inspiring to see internships from a different perspective, since I do not regularly get to be in a park.
Tags
- charles pinckney national historic site
- congaree national park
- fort sumter and fort moultrie national historical park
- national mall and memorial parks
- rocky mountain national park
- nps youth
- youth programs
- sca
- digital communications
- social media
- youth and young adult programs
- youth
- communications
- intern