Kaela Gaylord interns with the BLM and WISE
by Vicki Heisser |
Kaela Gaylord is spending her summer as a Prince William Sound College (PWSC) intern with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Wrangell Institute for Science and Environment (WISE). As an intern, she is participating in all of the BLM/WISE Youth Camp and hiking activities. When asked why she was interested in this internship opportunity, Kaela shared, “It was my love of the outdoors and adventure that drew me to apply to this internship here in AK. Living and working in rural Alaska, with Wrangell St. Elias National Park a mere couple of miles away, sounded like a dream job. Now, with a couple of weeks under my belt, I can say that I have had some of the most amazing experiences of my life. Only three days after I landed, I stepped foot on my very first glacier, the Root Glacier, in Kennecott, AK. The following week I got to experience a four-day backpacking trip with three high school students. During this excursion, I got to teach my own lesson about human and environmental hazards with the amazing view of the mountains as the backdrop. I began to understand the difficulty and rewards of teaching outdoor leadership to those younger than myself, and it inspired me to create even more interesting activities. I am beyond excited to see what the rest of my stay in Alaska holds, and I am forever thankful for this amazing opportunity to work with the BLM, WISE, and PWSC.”