Setareh Nouriboshehri

Cabrillo National Monument and the National Park Service are responsible for the protection and preservation of their natural and cultural resources for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of future generations. Sounds familiar, we know. 

Here at this park, we care deeply about the future generation. We already offer wide range of robust education programs to teach about our park and its many resources to a K-12 audience. Now, we are inviting college-age students to the table through our Interdisciplinary Apprentice Program (IAP). As a component of the Volunteer-in-Parks (VIP) Program, this three- to six-month apprenticeship blends together Natural Resources Management, Interpretation & Education, and General Management at Cabrillo National Monument. No two apprenticeships will be identical. Our vision is simple: to impact our city and global network by equipping the next generation of environmental and community stewards through a meaningful, interdisciplinary volunteer experience. 

So how is this role different than a VIP role? We’re glad you asked! As our apprentices are working and serving alongside our wonderful VIP crew in a myriad of roles, they will also be responsible for (1) recording weekly reflections, (2) writing monthly VIP-Voice blogs about their service to the park, and (3) creating a capstone project.

Our first IAP members are Wyler Svoboda and Ryan Sullivan. They are excited to be here, and we are excited to have them! Keep reading to learn more about them, and don’t forget to introduce yourselves!

Wyler Svoboda: “My name is Wyler and I am one of the Interdisciplinary Apprentices. I graduated from UCSD in 2018 with a bachelor’s in biology, with specialization in ecology, animal behavior, and evolution. While at UCSD, I was a member of the NCAA Cross Country and Track and Field teams. I competed in the 5K for those interested. In my free time you will find me watching movies, reading, hiking, or playing the piano. I am a lover of music and you’ll generally find me listening to jazz and progressive rock. If you love music, please come talk to me about your favorite musical artists and we can nerd out.

I will be at the park all day on Saturdays doing multiple volunteering positions (i.e. visitor center, SEC, TPERP, etc.). While at the park, I will be striving to better my communication skills with guests and volunteers and gain an education about the history and natural resources here at Cabrillo. I am hoping to get a better understanding of the NPS through this internship and gain skills for future careers. I look forward to meeting all of you VIPs!”

Ryan Sullivan: “My name is Ryan, I’m in my last year of undergraduate education at UC San Diego. I’ll be graduating this spring with a degree in Environmental Systems, with a focus in Ecology. I’m a born and raised naturalist with a passion for talking to people. At my university, I’m a tour guide and campus ambassador, which is where I discovered that passion and developed those skills. I love being outside and visiting National Parks around the country; I shamelessly run to the visitor center every time to get the stamps in my National Park Passport. This opportunity for a deeper level of involvement with the National Parks excites me greatly! One little fun fact about myself, I collect sunglasses! The last time I counted I had about 40 pairs!

As an Interdisciplinary Apprentice, I’m going to be working with a lot of the volunteer departments! I’ll be scheduled to Rove, staff the Visitor’s Center, run Science Explorer’s Club modules, attend Outreach events, work with TPERP, and weed with the Weed Warriors. I’ll be here every Saturday doing some combination of the above. If you see me, please say hi! The people I’ve met are my favorite part of the park so far. My goals with this position are to get to know the National Park Service a little better, but more importantly get to know myself better with what kinds of careers I want to pursue and how I can best be a steward of the environment. I look forward to being here for the next few months and learning more every single day!”