COLORADO—Some young people are a joy to talk to. That is the case with 21-year-old Visitor Information Specialist Chellbie Cheairs. If you’re fortunate enough to visit the David R. Obey Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Cheairs could be cheerfully staffing the reception desk of the 37,000 square foot, multi-use facility that connects visitors to the historic, cultural and natural resources of the Northern Great Lakes Region.

A 2021 graduate of Trapper Creek Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center, Cheairs realized in high school that she wanted to work in the great outdoors. “I like physical hardship, going outside and getting my hands dirty,” she said. “The mental and physical is connected. If I want my mental mind to be sharp, my physical body has to be sharp too.”

Located on 180 acres of Forest Service land and adjacent to the Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge, the visitor center seems to be a perfect landing place for Cheairs. The center helps people connect with the historic, cultural and natural resources of the Northern Great Lakes Region through customer-based visitor information, tourism services, experiential learning and community outreach programs. Eight months into her new position, on top of typical administrative tasks, Cheairs is busy rehabilitating the center’s neglected Kids Discovery Area.

“The Kids Discovery Area was overgrown with vegetation because it had not been used for a few years,” said Acting Center Director Kaleigh Maze. “Chellbie has an aptitude and willingness to get out there and do this work. It’s really great. She brings good hands-on mechanical skills to tackle these projects that have been languishing.”

When Cheairs’ hands aren’t wrapped around a weedwhacker, she is busy researching and responding to visitors’ questions about the center and the tri-state area, answering the phone, and providing administrative support. The site gets anywhere between 200 to 300 visitors a day, so it keeps her busy.

Cheairs graduated from Trapper Creek’s Advanced Wildland Fire Management program. Her long-term goal is to return to the fire world, and she’s started to network with local firefighters. “My supervisor has been helping make sure I maintain all my qualifications,” stated Cheairs. “Next year I will be working in firefighter support—camp crew administration support or as a Firefighter Type 2.”

Cheairs remembers flying into Montana to enroll at Trapper Creek, looking down at the expanse of mountain ranges and, in her words, “being freaked out.” Traveling through the forest on her way to the center the landscape changed and became even more beautiful. After a rough start in life, Cheairs said  a burden lifted off her shoulders the moment she arrived on campus. “I thought to myself, ‘I can be a brand-new person,’” said Cheairs. “I can live the way I want to live.”

Buoyed by the support of teachers and her peers, Cheairs blossomed at Trapper Creek Job Corps Center. But a particularly important role model in her life was Fire Training Specialist Danny Atkinson, himself a Trapper Creek graduate. From him, Cheairs learned to “embrace the suck.” 

“Danny would yell this phrase as were we doing physical training,” said Cheairs. “The message was that although PT might be sucky now, it would become a lot easier. Danny took me underneath his wings—helped me out a lot—he was good friend and supportive.”

Trapper Creek Job Corps grounded Cheairs. The students and staff were her family and provided a support system previously absent in her life. Cheairs entered the foster care system at age 10 and was adopted by a single parent when she was 16. Her mother kicked her out of the house when she was 18.

“I was already developed enough to know who I was and what I wanted to become as an adult,” said Cheairs. “My mom had a different ideal of who I should be.” On her own, not only did Cheairs not have a  high school diploma or driver’s license, but she also didn’t even have a Social Security card. Her mother even forbade her from contacting friends of the family for assistance. “My story confuses me half the time.”

Cheairs was a star student at Trapper Creek due to her strong character, principles and excellent work ethic.

“Chellbie’s perseverance and drive are very noticeable. She has dealt with adversity throughout her life and continues to keep pushing forward,” said Job Corps National Office Fire Program Field Coordinator Justin Abbey. “Chellbie embodies what Job Corps stands for.”

Chief Randy Moore has established a goal for the Forest Service to hire 100+ Job Corps graduates each year by fiscal year 2025. Job Corps creates a pipeline of trained, experienced and diverse workers ready to step into entry level positions. The placement to date of 21 Job Corps graduates in the agency in FY22  is due to the shared efforts and commitment of CCCs and Forest Service units. If you’d like to hire a Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center graduate, contact Job Corps Program Coordinator Recruiter Cristina Newton-Schlesselman at cristina.newton-schlesselman@usda.gov.