Cooper is attending the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, studying Natural Resources and Environmental Management. He is passionate about understanding Indigenous resource management and applying traditional ecological knowledge in conservation. His mountains are the San Gabriels, and his waters are the East Fork of the San Gabriel River. With years of experience in wildlife care and rehabilitation, fire fuels reduction, native habitat restoration, remote emergency response development, trail construction, and conservation education, Cooper is dedicated to making a positive impact on the environment.
Internship Placement: US Forest Service, Placerville, CA
As a CAPAL scholar/intern, what does CAPAL mean to you?
As one of the first in my family to pursue public service in the United States, CAPAL represents a step toward stronger representation for our community. It provides a pathway for those of us investing in public service and offers an avenue for us to give back to the communities that have poured into us.
What is an issue or topic within the AANHPI communities that you feel passionate about addressing?
Since my time with the Blue Water Exchange, I have become passionate about reconnection with cultural identity. Recently, I have developed a strong interest in food sovereignty in Hawaiʻi and mental health awareness.
What are your main responsibilities at your position? What are some of your big projects?
At the heart of my responsibilities is the motto of the Forest Service, which is ‘caring for the land and serving people.’ In my position, I contribute to this mission through conservation education on the Eldorado National Forest in California. This summer, I am helping run the Youth Conservation Corp program, Generation Green, teaching students how to work outdoors. As someone who participated in this program in 2017 and helped lead crews in 2018 and 2019, my greatest responsibility is connecting students to the conservation field, and more importantly, to their environment.
How does this internship fit with your professional and career goals?
As someone who has worked in conservation for over seven years, it is important to me to give back to the programs that brought me into the environmental field, not just as a job, but as a career and lifestyle. It has become my kūleana—role, responsibility, and privilege—to try to inspire the next generations of conservation leaders.
What does public service mean to you? What sparked your interest or desire to get involved with public service?
In the Summer of 2017, I took an internship with the County of Los Angeles, Natural Areas Division in partnership with the US Forest Service. This experience marked the beginning of my involvement in both public service and conservation. By the fall of 2017, I became the youngest Recreational Services Leader within the Natural Areas Division and have been involved in public service ever since. For me, public service is about contributing to the greater good of society, especially within the realm of environmental protection and conservation.
