I grew up in Brownsville, Texas and spent my summers on the family farm in Zacatecas, Mexico. I sincerely love hiking in the outdoors and have lost count of how many so called mountains I’ve climbed. They’ve been mostly smaller type hills like Mt. Diablo in California and Mt. Bonnell in Texas. I’ve served both in the Marines and the Army and spent the majority of it in Iraq and Afghanistan respectively. I also have a bachelor’s degree in history which I received between my time in the Marines and Army. I recently married my beautiful wife who I’ve known since my time in college.

I have two goals: be a better husband, and pursue a career in the Forest Service that allows me to fulfill having a profession that has a deep meaning for myself. I chose to become a Mt. Adams Institute intern because it is providing me with the amazing opportunity to work in the outdoors in such a way that I feel I am going to be part of it. What excites me most is that I am going to have a profession where I get to engage with people in a meaningful way in the most beautiful scenery on earth. What I hope to get from this experience is a good understanding of what it takes to be a valuable member of the Forest Service. I hope to see and touch as much of the National Forest I work in. I hope I get to breathe fresh air every day and feel both the sun’s warmth in the summer and even the cold in the winter. It feels good to actually feel the seasons changing and I very much look forward to being a part of it.