Student Earns Elite National Parks Internship

April 19, 2016

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – April 19, 2016 – SJC Long Island biology major Kaileigh Mendoza ’17 was chosen as one of 20 summer interns through the Latino Heritage Internship Program at the Fire Island National Seashore. Mendoza will assist with community outreach and educational programming at the park with a specific focus on reaching local, underserved audiences. She will also attend local community events to provide information about Fire Island and the National Park Service, as well as assist in digital media outreach efforts. Upon completing the internship, Mendoza will have an opportunity to travel to Colorado for an all-expense-paid post-internship workshop.

“I feel incredibly grateful to have been offered such an amazing opportunity to help introduce underserved audiences to all that the Fire Island National Seashore has to offer,” said Mendoza. “I love working with children and I have visited Fire Island throughout my childhood, so I look forward to sharing my experiences and getting to create memories with new visitors. As the first Latina to pursue a post-secondary education in my family, I am also excited to encourage more members of the Latino community to experience what this National Park has to offer.”

Through a national competitive application process, the National Park Service, Environment for the Americas (EFTA) and the Hispanic Access Foundation select highly qualified students to participate in the Latino Heritage Internship Program. The Program’s aim is to train young Latinos in cultural and natural resource management while raising awareness and utilization of national parks and cultural resources by Latino communities.

For more information about SJC, visit sjcny.edu.

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH'S COLLEGE
St. Joseph’s College has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the College provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility and service. Through SJC Brooklyn, SJC Long Island and SJC Online, the College offers degrees in more than 45 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs.