The Visitor Center needs somebody to tell those stories, somebody who needs to check that the museum maintains the right level of humidity and temperature to protect and preserve each piece of exhibit, somebody to show the importance of taking care of the national parks not only here in the CNMI but in other parks across the nation, and somebody to help preserve history for the future generations.
It takes a park ranger to do these, and the hundred and one other details that need to be taken cared of around the Park every day.
Susan Fishman-Tudor is one of the three park rangers that perform various responsibilities in the park round the clock.
“A park ranger is someone who is dedicated to preserve and protect the natural, historical and cultural resources for the current and future generations,” Tudor-Fishman said.
“As much as possible, we want everybody to think of the park as a place they can use for conferences, meetings, movies and theater shows. We want everyone to know we are here for them,” she said.
Working for the NPS is a learning experience every day, according to Fishman-Tudor said. It is here where she meets different kinds of people every day. She is also honing her communication skills in Japanese, Chinese and other languages to be able to interact with the tourists who visit the Park.
Tudor-Fishman said she worked for American Memorial Park for two months to answer a call for project in 2009. After her short stint, she saw an announcement for a job opening at the usajobs.gov website and sent in her application. Her application got the nod of the human resources department from the National Parks Service in Hawaii.
“I guess being a local here and my previous work experience at the park helped a lot in being chosen among thousands of applicants from all over the nation,” she said.
Tudor-Fishman has been on island for the past 13 years. She worked as a teacher at William S. Reyes Elementary School and as a chiropractor.
Despite her regular work as a park ranger, she still manages to squeeze time for one other love of her life — the theater. Fishman-Tudor has been president of the Friends of the Arts for the past six years, directing and acting in several plays each year.
Asked on how she juggles her time between her work and personal interests, Tudor-Fishman has this to say:
“I would like to encourage everyone to seize the opportunity when you get a chance because it may never come your way again.”
