Kassidy Keller, TAPS-ing In
Just over the mountain from State College and University Park, lies one of Centre Counties hidden treasures. Black Moshannon State Park is surrounded by 43,000 acres of the Moshannon State Forest. Visitors to the park can visit the lake, camp, hike, and fish, as well as attend educational and recreational programs and special events. This summer, a visitor to Black Moshannon State Park might have had the good fortune to bump into RPTM intern, Kassidy Keller.
“I applied to two internships,” said Kassidy. “One in Tennessee because I have friends who live nearby, and the other was Black Moshannon. It is part of the local network of PA state parks that include Bald Eagle and Greenwood Furnace. I was still waiting to hear from Tennessee when I was offered the position at Black Moshannon.”
Kassidy’s route to Black Moshannon and her degree in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management with a focus on Outdoor Recreation included stops at Penn State’s Abington campus and the United States Air Force (USAF).
“When I was separating from the Air Force, I knew I wanted to work outside, probably something in recreation,” she said. “I always loved to go to parks and enjoy the history and biology and conservation that is a focus of state parks.“
The USAF offers a program called the Transition Assistance Program (TAPS) that provides classes on resume building and other career planning activities for active-duty men and women who are separating from their military service. “They offer a weeklong program,” she said. “Most people take 1-2 classes. I took all of them,” she laughed.
Kassidy’s service assignment in the USAF was in the area of linguistics. In addition to her two years of training at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, Kassidy earned associate’s degrees in both Arabic Studies and Intelligence through the Community College of the Air Force. She began her assignment with the USAF primarily in translation which led to supervision and direct mission support.
With an understanding that transitioning from the military to the university environment might offer some challenges, Kassidy became actively involved in the Penn State veteran’s organizations and eventually worked in the Office of Veterans Programs at the front desk. Recently, her role with Penn State’s veterans’ programs has changed to working as a sponsor and mentor to incoming veteran students.
“I had a very high stress job with the Air Force,” she said. “Coming to college, I could almost take a sigh of relief. It was an opportunity to learn and meet new people. It’s nice to help others make the transition.”
Kassidy shared how connections are important. “Mathias Weinzen (RPTM 2019) came into speak in one of my classes. He mentioned he was a Navy Veteran and was Park Manager at Black Moshannon. When it came time to apply for my internship, I went back to that connection.”
As an intern at Black Moshannon, Kassidy gained valuable experience in all aspects of park management. “Previously, interns would be mostly assigned to the Environmental Education Specialists (EES) to shadow and then develop and lead programs,” she said. “My experience was much more ‘bigger picture.’ I had a chance to spend time with the EES, but also spend time with law enforcement, guest interaction, front desk, and administration—and I spent time shadowing Mathias to learn more about his role.”
Originally from Lebanon, PA, Kassidy smiled and said, “If you live in Pennsylvania, you know Penn State is a thing.” She mentioned the alumni network as a reason for selecting Penn State. Professional development activities such as bringing in alumni like Mathias to speak on campus and then having those same alums extend a hand to students seeking internships is what Penn State is all about.
When asked what advice she would offer incoming students, Kassidy said, “Show the professors that you care. Show up to class. Participate. Turn things in on time. Little things are important. Use your resources and set yourself up for success.”
After her summer internship, Kassidy has returned to University Park to complete her degree. She has a full slate of courses in the Fall and then will participate in the Student Engagement and Experiential Discovery (SEED) semester at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, Penn State’s affiliate nature center in the Spring. SEED is a block semester of tethered courses, the majority of which take place at Shaver’s Creek. After graduation, she hopes to use her education, outdoor experience, and military background to land a full-time position within a state park system.
“I think it’s important to take every opportunity,” said Kassidy. “There is always an opportunity to learn and grow, even when it seems negative. Every experience offers something to put in your pocketbook to use later on.”