WCC student works toward a career with national parks

As a child, Geneva High School graduate Alex Browere would camp with his mom and siblings at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on North Manitou Island in Michigan. Here, he discovered the wonder of nature and biology that would form the foundation of a life dedicated to national parks.

Browere is being recognized as a "Waubonsee’s Student Success: Featured Student" for his passion and dedication toward his dream of working full time in U.S. national parks.

With a goal of becoming a biology major, Browere graduated from high school in the summer 2015, then took his first English class at Waubonsee Community College.

“English is not my favorite, so I wanted to get it over with,” he said in a news release.

As he moved through his semester, he looked forward to summer when he wanted experience in his field.

"I knew I wanted to work in a national park over the summer, so in March of 2016, I just started searching the internet," Browere said. "I came across CoolWorks.com, which is where I found my job at Yellowstone with Under Canvas."

Under Canvas is a luxury camping program providing camping for those who don't want to rough it too much. Here, Browere wore many different hats. With a knack for creating a great customer service experience, he worked not only with visitors to ensure their stays were comfortable, but also booked reservations, set up camp sites, managed online accounts and worked in the restaurant.

“I’m not a very good cook,” he said. “That’s why I mostly stayed in the back room, cutting vegetables.”

As a customer service representative for Under Canvas, he improved his ability to work with varied groups, people with different backgrounds and travelers from many places, stated the release.

People from all over the world visit Yellowstone, meaning he had to come up with creative ways to help people, whether overcoming a language barrier or accommodating a group with special requests.

When Yellowstone’s peak season ended, Browere returned to classes at Waubonsee for the fall 2016 semester and to his job at 7-Eleven where he works 32 hours a week.

“My professors have been understanding and supportive of my schedule, as long as I communicate with them,” he said.

His advice to students?

"Stay focused on your goals. What will you do if you quit school early?”

Browere considers juggling a full work schedule and getting experience in his field crucial in achieving his goals, stated the release. After transferring to and graduating from a four-year university, he plans to seek a permanent job in a national park. Though he knows it is a lot to handle to maintain his current schedule, he sees his end goal as being more than worth the effort, the release stated.