From Covering Fires to the Rose Parade – How Do You Get That Job? 

Latino woman with long dark hair in Forest Service uniform stands in front of a small waterfall.

Public Affairs Specialist Keila Vizcarra at Millard Falls on the Angeles National Forest. (USDA Forest Service photo by Evelyn Hernandez)

Cheryl Laughlin
Pacific Southwest Region
May 31, 2024

This series shares how college students and recent graduates find their way to the Forest Service Resource Assistants Program and their work to serve the public in our national forests.  

Sometimes your perfect career path happens in unexpected small steps. And before you know it — you’re part of the multimedia team covering Smokey Bear at the 2024 Rose Parade. Or helping take over the official Forest Service Instagram account for Latino Conservation Week. Or covering prescribed fires up close in Southern California. 

But what might be that first step? 

Keila Vizcarra, public affairs specialist on the Angeles National Forest, took that first step when she left her hometown of Victorville, California, for California State University, Northridge. Just two hours to the west, she pursued her dual passions with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in Spanish-language journalism.  

The next step? 

 “I naturally I gravitated to careers related to communication and multimedia after graduation,” Keila shared. 

From a Facebook ad her brother saw, she discovered the Hispanic Access Foundation, a nonprofit partner with the Forest Service to hire diverse young professionals for work on national forests and grasslands. From there, it was just one more step to the Forest Service. 

“As a recent graduate, what appealed to me about joining the Resource Assistant Program was the hands-on training, mentorship and financial support,” said Keila.  

The program helped Keila get her “foot in the door” with the Forest Service and learn about the different careers we have to offer. 

Diving into Public Affairs 

Latino woman wearing bright yellow shirt and holding a camera steadies her foot on a stone.

Keila working as a public information officer during a prescribed fire at Crystal Lake Recreation area, north of Azusa, California, on Nov. 15, 2023. She is red card certified, meaning she can cover fire incidents on the ground more closely. (USDA Forest Service photo)

In January 2018, Keila joined the Angeles National Forest as a public affairs resource assistant. For a little over two years, she helped plan forest events and updated the public during wildfires. She also dug into creating social media, including videos and photography. 

By March of 2020 she was hired as a visitor services information assistant on the forest in the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument office. By November 2022, she was back to her old stomping grounds with a 120-day detail as a public affairs specialist and a permanent position soon after.  

Along the way, Keila wanted to ensure the forest is inviting to everyone. As an urban forest, the Angeles National Forest is more popular than most people realize.  

“Although we might not be one of the largest forests in the national forest system, we are one of the most highly visited forests in the country,” Keila shared. “From a 2021 Forest Service survey, the Angeles National Forest received more recreation-based visits from the public — 4.59 million visits — more than Grand Canyon National Park at 4.53 million or Yosemite National Park at 3.29 million in the same year.” 

Building Bridges to Nature 

Two women wearing baseball hats and uniforms speak into a microphone.

Public Affairs Specialist Keila Vizcarra works on communication documents and social media posts at her desk at the Angeles National Forest Headquarters in Arcadia, California, Feb. 9, 2023. (USDA Forest Service photo by Preston Keres)

As a resource assistant, Keila worked with the Hispanic Access Foundation, Self Help Graphics & Art, and Homeboy Industries to bring inner city youth and formerly incarcerated individuals to the forest during the 2018 Latino Conservation Week. Everyone learned compass, map and even screen-printing skills while enjoying the nearby San Gabriel River.  

“For many, it was their first time visiting the Angeles National Forest, and some mentioned they wanted to come back and bring their families,” Keila shared. “And although it took a lot of planning, I am grateful to have been that bridge to nature for them.” 

In 2023, Keila joined a group from the Angeles National Forest in an Instagram takeover during the 10-year anniversary of Latino Conservation Week. The popular bilingual video walks visitors through happenings on the Angeles National Forest, from composting to Leave No Trace to #RecreateResponsibly. 

And by the time Keila was photographing the Forest Service at the 2024 Rose Parade, she was already over six years in with the Forest Service.  

So, what kind of insights has that given her? 

“My advice to future resource assistants is to be open to stepping out of your comfort zone and learn about the different program areas on their forest. Be curious about everything. And make connections with employees who can help advise or be a mentor.”  

Check out other resource assistant journeys with the Forest Service — Michelle Carr at the Pacific Southwest Research Station, Rosa-Lee Jimenez in Tribal Relations, Farrah Masoumi on the Tahoe National Forest, and Jennipher Himmelmann at the Institute of Pacific Island Forestry. 

Want to become a resource assistant? The Resource Assistants Program offers an immersive, paid internship for current students, recent graduates, and underrepresented populations. Explore natural and cultural resources management with land management agencies like the U.S. Forest Service. The program includes mentor and network opportunities, a weekly stipend to help with other expenses, and eligibility for direct hire up to two years after completing the program.