
Episode #1
S3, Ep 1: From the hood to the woods, from guarded to guided
This is the first episode of season 3! Welcome back to all of my listeners and hello to those tuning in for the first time. This episode features my friend Anna Natal whom I’ve known since my first season in Yosemite back in 2017. During this conversation Anna shares about the rough childhood she endured where she was forced to grow up quickly while living in the hood, to her experience moving to Yosemite and traveling, and describing what the journey has been like to eventually becoming a National Park Service Interpretive Ranger in Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park today. Her story is inspiring because it touches on finding beauty in life even after hardships. And that it’s never too late to choose a different path for yourself. If you’ve ever been curious about untraditional pathways into an NPS career and/or come from a challenging past, then Anna’s story will resonate with you. Anna! Thank you so much for being a guest on Black in Wild the Podcast! The more I heard about your story the more I realized how much more we have in common that I knew otherwise. What stands out to me from your story is resilience, chosen family, and fresh starts. Out of everything you’ve been through you had every excuse to give up and yet you kept choosing to keep going. And that although you didn’t experience much positive encouragement growing up, what helped you along the way was the chosen family you developed over time. People who didn’t owe you anything but saw something in you and believed that you could achieve great things. As well as deserved to! Lastly, you’ve started over more times that I can count yet choose to make the most out of every situation. You’re a great example of creating your own community and being the change you want to see. I’m so proud of all that you’ve accomplished! Can’t wait to see what else you do and where you go! Thanks for representing the green and gray! *Note: the opinions and perspectives represented in this podcast are not representative of any agency, organization, business, or company. Be sure to visit blackinwild.com for all things Black in Wild! Don't forget to sign up for the newsletter to stay up to date. Episodes will be posted bi-weekly!





