The past eight months have taught me more about myself as a journalist than any class or internship experience has. While this journey had its challenges, it has been my most rewarding experience since coming to CU Boulder. The storytelling aspect has always drawn me to journalism, and I feel that this project not only allowed me to fully explore this side of journalism but also gave me the confidence to tell stories I am passionate about and believe should have a bigger voice in the world today.
When I heard that Trump and Secretary Burgum were firing and defunding thousands of rangers on Valentine's Day 2025, I knew immediately I wanted to use my journalism background to write a piece about it. I just didn’t know when or how. So when the opportunity for the honors thesis program presented itself, I knew this was the topic I wanted to focus on before even starting the program. I never questioned it. After working in Glacier National Park for a summer and working so closely with multiple types of rangers and park staff, I couldn’t stop thinking about how this current administration was affecting them and the place I hold so dearly to my heart. I began collecting interviews in August of 2025 and ended up with five sources. While this number may not seem large, it was shocking to me, as I struggled to find sources for this project due to fear of retribution from present and former rangers. The literature review gave me a solid starting point, as I knew the history of rangers and national parks in politics, as well as some past and current economic issues. But the sources are what truly helped bring this project together, as they had first-hand information and experiences, and also gave me new ideas along the way.
While this project taught me the importance of persistence and patience, it taught me, most importantly, how to adapt. Journalism is a constantly evolving and changing field, and this project has given me the confidence to start a career in this field, as I now know I can adapt to any changes thrown my way. Originally, I wanted to focus mainly on the political side of this story, but after struggling to find sources willing to talk to me, I realized I needed to shift my focus. So, I decided to focus on why national parks and rangers are so important not only for each other but also for American identity. The topic of American identity in this project really brought in the philosophical aspect, which I enjoyed, and I believe my project is stronger because of it. As I said before, this is a constantly changing field, and when I had my interview with Bob Krumenaker, he mentioned that he felt the mission of the National Park System was getting lost over the generations. This new idea flowed so well with my other two that I felt it needed a voice in this project as well, since many of the retired rangers, and even present rangers, feel this way.
This project has truly helped boost my confidence and passion for journalism, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me in this industry. I will be forever grateful for my mentors who helped me along the way. Angie Chuang, thank you for supporting me every step of the way and for having faith in me and my project even when I didn’t, and to Ross Taylor for teaching me about the digital world of websites and helping me feel confident in the multimedia skills I had. I couldn’t have asked for a better way or better people to end my senior year of college with, in all honesty. So again, thank you.
