Interview Clip of Leon Thomas, Training Coordinator, Former SCEP Student

 

“The role that the BLM plays in our communities is sustaining the land for future generations to be able to enjoy. But it is also interfacing with the community so that they have a true understanding of what is takes to be able to maintain and sustain that land.”

 

Interview Clip of Alma Lively, Audio Video Production Specialist, Former SCEP Student

 

“When I told people that I would be working for the BLM, the majority of the responses were ‘What is the BLM?’ Most people have no idea, even people out West where most BLM land is located still don’t have a real good picture of what BLM does. 

 

You are contributing to protecting, sustaining our natural resources not just for present but also for future generations. You are helping to protect the very lands that people love to recreate on, to be able to see wildlife on, to just have that open space that is slowly, slowly, slowly going away as the West especially starts to grow.

 

Knowing that I work for an agency and an organization that protects those lands really is very rewarding, and it makes me feel like I am some small part of something very big.”

 

Interview Clip of Elena Daly, Retired Director, National Landscape Conservation System, Former SCEP Student

 

“We are so intricately interwoven with the quality of life for people in this country that we affect them every day, even those who don’t know that we exist.”

 

 

 

Interview Clip of Elena Daly, Retired Director, National Landscape Conservation System, Former SCEP Student

 

“The single most rewarding memory was the opportunity to help a group of folks in Alabama. We don’t think about public land in Alabama, but it was a homestead state. Their ancestors had homesteaded. Civil war came, destroyed all of the records. 

 

What ended up was that these folks owned the property but didn’t own the mineral rights under their property. It was about thirty-thousand people in Southern Alabama. They couldn’t sell. They couldn’t do anything. It was a very depressed time. Folks wanted to sell their homes, sell their property. And they couldn’t do it because of this lean on their property and mineral rights. 

 

And it was working with their local congressman that we were able to clear up the title for them, make sure that they could own the land outright, so that they could deal with it as real property owners. It wasn’t anything the Federal government particularly wanted. There were no mineral interests there. It was just one of those crazy things in the law that really impacted these people. 

 

And I got a letter from a woman there, and the letter just said, I never knew the Federal government cared until I worked with you. And I thought, wow, where else would you get an opportunity to do something that significant for people.”

 

Interview Clip of Tiya Saumels, Business Management Specialist, Former SCEP Student

 

“I think when I first started working here, I had a major experience. It was very memorable because we went on, went to an AO conference. And my supervisor asked that I do a presentation there. I was fairly nervous because the material was pretty new. And I knew that most of the people in the audience were experienced BLM employees so why would they want to hear from an intern? So, my supervisor gave me a good pep-talk and told me to go and do the presentation, and it turned out to be very good. Everyone was excited. It was an office of the future presentation, and so it was preparing me for something that I didn’t expect. I got up in front of a crowd, and it let me know that just because you are new doesn’t mean you don’t have anything to offer. So, it was a good experience.”

 

 

 

Interview Clip of Michael Thomas, Historian, Former SCEP Student

 

It’s a very, very comfortable environment. I find that there is certainly an emphasis on diversity, and it’s not just talk. I see things being done to, sort of, bring about more of a diversity within the Bureau. That is something that was a little bit of a concern with me when I first started, but it became less and less of a concern.

 

Interview Clip of Al’Tariq Samuels, Information Technology Specialist, Former SCEP Student

 

“They are looking for people with different backgrounds and diversity. They do welcome you with open arms. They still give you the same opportunity. Honestly, you seem to be in the spotlight more because you are in a diverse setting. So, take advantage of the opportunity. Capture their attention.” 

 

Interview Clip of Alma Lively, Audio Video Production Specialist, Former SCEP Student

 

“I feel that overall the diversity within the Bureau of Land Management is changing for the better. I am starting to see more and more diverse faces as I travel to different offices. My job really allows me that opportunity to travel all over and shoot video of different projects and work with different people. Even since I came into the organization, I am seeing so much more diversity and so much higher retention of these SCEP students that are being placed into permanent positions.   That’s just great to see. It’s great to see that program really succeed. “

 

Interview Clip of Wesley Wong, Natural Resources Specialist, Former SCEP Student

 

“Diversity is definitely encouraged from a top down point of view.”

 

Interview Clip of Tiya Samuels, Business Management Specialist, Former SCEP Student

 

In some cases, it’s going to be challenging because you are going out went where, in some cases, the areas aren’t diverse.  But, taking advantage of the opportunity, working with the people, you may be able to make a difference, and you may be able to add something to BLM that was not there before.