Over the past two years at Churchill County High School, I’ve been given so many opportunities, and I have branched out so much to invest in those opportunities. One of the biggest things I discovered was how much I love plants. The day I stepped into Mrs. Sammons’ classroom, it didn’t take long for me to find my inner green thumb. She would always talk about her work at the refuge—the plants, the digging, and even the sunrises. I never thought I would eventually experience those things myself. I already knew I wanted to pursue a career in this field, but this summer helped solidify that decision for me.
This summer, my crew and I had the opportunity to work through the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) program at Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge. If you aren’t familiar with the program, it is a summer youth program that gives students like me the opportunity to explore conservation while working on federal lands. Mr. Sluyter, our project crew leader, has been helping students like me explore conservation for 17 years now.
It became so much more than just a summer job—the work we did was often hard but very rewarding. I learned so much; most of our daily tasks were hands‑on. We learned how to weld and use tools like a table saw when we were helping repair informational signs. We learned to identify native plants while planting, harvesting seeds, and weeding around the refuge farm. We also learned to fish and how to clean and cook what we caught at Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge. I learned the value of repairing things whenever possible, like weed eaters and other machines. I even got to begin to read the stars at night. Every day brought something different, and even the smallest jobs felt like they contributed to something bigger—and they did. Some days we were in waders clearing water pipes in Dixie Valley for the Navy; some days we were harvesting seeds from prince’s plume siliques so that we might plant the next generation of these beautiful native Nevada plants. Another day, we got to take a bee class at the University of Nevada, Reno to help us identify native bees and butterflies. Did you know Nevada has nearly 1,000 different types of bees that are native to the U.S.?
My favorite memory wasn’t one singular moment, but our weeklong trip to Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The mountains, wildlife, long days, laughter, and a sky full of stars made it one of those experiences I know I’ll never forget.
I’m incredibly thankful for Mrs. Sammons, Mr. Sluyter, the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge family, and especially our YCC crew for making this summer so special. The people I met showed me different paths I could take in the future and helped turn an interest I already had into something I could genuinely see myself doing. This opportunity gave me memories, lessons, and people I’ll carry with me long after the summer ended.
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