Inside RMYC’s Internship Program: Case Study: Claire Haindfield
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps’ burgeoning internship program. is designed to engage youth and young adults in valuable work experiences within natural resources management agencies and non-profits and help them get their foot in the door for associated jobs and careers. Partners include the United States Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the Colorado Youth Corps Association, and a growing circle of other agency and non-profit partners. Upon completion of at least 640 hours, interns also qualify for the Public Land Corps Hiring Authority which gives priority hiring when applying for jobs with the USFS (it takes two years of year-round work with the USFS to qualify at the same level). Below, we catch up with Claire Haindfield, 20, for her take on going through RMYC internship program and how it’s helped her subsequent endeavors.
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Claire Haindfield
Current title: Assistant Crew Lead for the US Forest Service.
Tell us about your background:
I attended U.C. Berkeley as a Biology major for one year and have been in an academic break since May ‘23. It’s not necessary for me to have a degree in my current position and I’m still figuring out what I’d like to study when I return. I plan to finish my degree through an online program.
How did you end up in the RMYC internship program?
Although I have always loved the outdoors, I was unfamiliar with jobs like trailwork before interning with Rocky Mountain Youth Corps. I took the USFS trails intern summer position in the Blanco District of the White River National Forest as a change of pace from my highly stressful college experience. I had expectations to return to school in the fall, but I found myself enjoying the work, community, and lifestyle so much that I decided to stick with it.
How did your internship with RMYC help prepare you for your current position?
I’m now an Assistant Crew Lead for the US Forest Service. I am confident that I would not be in my current position without my experience as a RMYC intern. The internship prepared me with hard skills like crosscutting, water bar and drainage maintenance, brushing, and hiking and camping experience as well as soft skills in communication, connection, and professionalism. It also allowed me to gain valuable trainings, connections, and experience to succeed in the field.
How’d you end up there?
After RMYC, I spent the fall doing trailwork in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the winter in the Gila Wilderness Area of New Mexico, where I am currently working on a seasonal permanent Assistant Trail Crew Lead for the USFS. My internship with RMYC has opened many doors for all sorts of employment–I’ve worked for both the USFS and non-profit organizations since my RMYC internship ended. I am still loving this fieldwork as much as I did last summer and have grown tremendously as both a worker and an individual through it. I am very grateful and lucky to have had so many wonderful mentors who have seen my potential and given me opportunities to challenge myself and grow both in this position and as a person.
Any advice for other RMYC interns?
Like many things, this internship is largely what you make of it. There are many opportunities to learn and grow if you’re willing to take them on. It requires hard work and dedication but is well worth it. Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself, ask questions, and be open to feedback and criticism. Everyone in this program wants to see you succeed and is there to support you along the way.