The World’s Best Backyard

Transcript

Now we’re heading over to Thunderbird Gardens to meet outdoor recreation major, Jessica. At the University of the Parks, many T-Birds, like Jessica, are able to explore and learn in the great outdoors. Each year, SUU places more than 300 students in outdoor internships and research positions in the nearby national parks and public lands. It’s easy to get outside and reap the benefits of nature when you go to school at the University of the Parks. Jessica, please tell us more.

– Hey, everyone, welcome to Cedar City, Utah, also known as Festival City, USA. This small town in beautiful Southern Utah is not short of excitement. There’s something for everyone year round, like a world-class Shakespeare Festival, a local sheep parade, and of course, adventuring in the great outdoors. SUU is located within a five-hour drive of more than 20 national parks and monuments in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada, which is why SUU is trademarked the University of the Parks. SUU’s incredible location and connection to the outdoors is ultimately what brought me to campus. When I was deciding on a college to attend, I discovered SUU was offering a special adventurous 18 credit semester in Bryce Canyon National Park. I knew that was for me. I spent my first semester with 11 other students living and working in Bryce Canyon, just an hour and a half away from campus. Our professors brought our classes to us in the park and on weekend camping trips. The outdoors truly became our classroom. That semester set the stage for me pursuing an outdoor recreation degree. Now I’m on campus learning the foundations of the industry and how to be an outdoor leader. My professors are great at teaching us concepts and connecting them to the real world. For most of my class assignments, I get to collaborate with local outdoor organizations on projects they are currently working on that bring what I learned in the classroom to life. All of this work is preparing me to fulfill my dream of developing programs that empower people through outdoor adventures. When I’m not in class, I work with one of the coolest departments on campus, SUU outdoors. We know that Southern Utah has so much to offer. You could be skiing down the powdery snow in the morning, and climbing the red rocks in 70 degree weather that same afternoon. We don’t want students to miss out on this. So we rent tons of outdoor gear at amazing prices and organize free weekend trips. We do everything from snowshoeing to canyoneering, backpacking, river rafting, and more. Our trips are so much fun, and as a trip leader, I love to help students try new things, make new friends, and experience some of the most beautiful places on earth. And if free trips and outdoor classrooms aren’t enough, SUU is home to the largest federal internship program in the nation, the IIC. It connects students to careers in the national parks and public lands. Last summer, I led a unique crew the IIC created to work in our local community. We were the hands for a wide variety of projects, left undone due to the pandemic. For 10 weeks, my crew and I spent every day outside working on these projects. My favorite was building a bridge on a hiking trail we fixed. We learned lots of new skills and grew as leaders while we served our community. So there you have it, being the University of the Parks means we get to play, learn, and work outside. At SUU, we literally have the world’s best backyard. Come see it yourselves. Top that Alex.

– Jessica, I don’t know what to say. There’s no way I can top that. Your story is epic, wow. SUU truly has an amazing backyard. From skiing at local resorts, to hiking in the national parks, to hammocking here on campus. There’s an adventure for everyone here. Thanks again for that tour Jessica, take care.