When Kyle Yarusso responded to a college bulletin board posting for internships with the SCA, he didn’t expect his environmental and ecology studies to lead him on a path to event and volunteer management.
“I thought I would end up at a state Department of Natural Resources or something more science-based, doing studies, research or lab work,” Yarusso said. “The SCA helped me realize I could take that degree and make a career out of being a people person.”
For two terms of service with the SCA, Yarusso interned with the Centennial Volunteer Ambassador program—a collaboration with the National Park Service and the SCA to prepare for the parks’ centennial celebrations in 2016—where he coordinated large-scale volunteer events at the White House and the National Mall.
SCA Alum Kyle Yarusso at work on the National Mall. (Photo Credit: Kyle Yarusso)
That experience led to work at President’s Park, which includes the public lands surrounding the White House, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, both in the nation’s capital.
Yarusso is now the Volunteer and Youth Programs Coordinator at Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., where he oversees a volunteer program that engages many partner organizations and over 5,000 volunteers annually.
Additionally, he works with youth organizations to provide internships and trail crew opportunities within the park.
“The National Park Service, through the SCA, allowed me to see a different side of myself. SCA internships take our degree, schooling, or previous life experience and help translate them into a career and future in the environmental movement,” he said. “It’s allowed me to connect with others, share my experiences, and has left me better positioned to have conversations about climate change and our environmental impacts.”
