Thank you Interns!
August 26, 2020
Our Interns are pivotal to making our day to day summer operations possible at the Ranch! From helping behind the scenes, to leading camp activities, these students devote their whole summer to serving our children and families. We want to say a very special thank you for their time and talents and to the work they have done to make summer 2020 an awesome experience for those we serve! Read on to hear about each of our intern’s experiences with us.
Jazmyn
“My time at Candlelight Ranch has been both educational and eye-opening. I have done many environmental educational jobs; however, I never had an opportunity to gain outdoor recreation skills. During my time at Candlelight Ranch, I had the chance to learn how to help people canoe, kayak, fish, and do archery. I also had an opportunity to gain more experience in teaching disadvantaged people who would not be able to gain environmental experiences without the ranch.
I believe that working with disadvantaged people has been the most eye-opening experience for me during my time at the ranch. Learning the backgrounds of the people we serve always made me sad. However, the people that visited the ranch always had fun and were able to smile and laugh. Candlelight Ranch as truly proven to me that it is a place of safety and fun for anyone who needs it.”
Michael
“It is rather difficult to express into words how fortunate I am to be given such an incredible opportunity. Though we are the ones providing others with an everlasting experience, I strongly believe I have gained much more than fieldwork hours in an effort for graduation. Prior to this opportunity, I had no idea where my Recreation Administration degree would eventually take me. This experience has allowed me to unravel a strong passion I never thought I had. From my first day to my last, I experienced continual growth as an individual solely because of Candlelight Ranch. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to work with children and families of all abilities as it allowed me to understand my calling. There are many individuals I met throughout my internship that I will never forget as they made a permanent mark on me. I would like to thank my supervisors, Madison, and Lynette, as they saw potential in me that I did not. There are absolutely no words I can say that could accurately explain how blessed I am to have an experience that will last a lifetime. I am forever grateful for this experience and the individuals within this agency that continue to have a huge role in its overall success.”
Kayma
“Candlelight Ranch was a magical place to learn and explore the recreation industry. I approached every day as a new challenge to provide the most meaningful experiences for the families and individuals we serve. One of my favorite moments is being able to guide individuals through an activity they feared and develop it into their new hobby. This frequently happened on the lake for people who are not familiar with kayaking. Once directions and a giving hand were offered up, smiles as wide as the canyon could be seen.”
Tatsuya 
“Working at Candlelight Ranch this summer opened up new doors for my future professional career. I have been studying recreational administration at Texas State University and have not yet had the opportunity to work with children who have special needs or those in difficult home life situations. I had no idea what to expect when I started working with these kids, and this made me a bit nervous, but I quickly realized a new passion of mine when it came to putting smiles on their faces. I had an incredible time working with the kids who came to the ranch this summer and felt so blessed to get to know each and every one of them. This experience brought a new kind of joy and fulfillment to my life and goals. My heart was warmed with all the smiling faces of the kids as they left the ranch, knowing that I could bring a little bit of happiness to their lives. I felt somewhat responsible for the children who could not wait to come back and spend another day at Candlelight Ranch as soon as possible.”
Mercedes
“Learn, explore, and heal. These are the words that drew me to the booth at Texas State University internship fair. Stretched across their banner I could see warm faces from across the room. Lynette and Madison were not only kind, but passionate about their mission at
Candlelight. I was hooked from my first meeting with them, and before I even stepped foot onto the ranch to complete my fieldwork. I truly believe experiences are what you make of them. I wake up every day at Candlelight Ranch ready to change lives. I approach every individual at Candlelight with the motivation that nature can not only heal but inspire. I leave every participant at Candlelight with education about nature as well as practices that they can facilitate in their own lives with the hopes they will inspire others that they know. My philosophy is that once an individual finds inspiration within nature they can help others do the same. My summer here at Candlelight Ranch was a once in a lifetime experience. It was amazing getting to work with not only wonderful supervisor’s but learning from them as well. Candlelight’s mission became the reason that I am confident as a TR student now. I look forward to my future endeavors as I take with me all the valuable experiences I had this summer. Without Candlelight Ranch I could not have accomplished my own personal goals of gaining firsthand experience with at-risk youth and individuals with special needs. Candlelight Ranch has started the path to my TR aspirations as well as my future career. Thank you.”