Article by Hannah Keller Flanery. UACCB communications and marketing coordinator
Ethan Tucker didn’t really know what type of career he wanted to pursue, but he knew a desk job was not for him.
“I like being outdoors in the woods,” Tucker said. An internship with the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) in Heber Springs in the fall of 2019 put him on the path to a profession he said he is excited to begin.
A 2018 graduate of Concord High School, Tucker completed his degree in agriculture technology at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville in December. Because he took some college courses while still in high school, Tucker was able to complete his associate degree in a year and a half. And before graduation, Tucker accepted a position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service as a forestry technician.
“My co-workers at the NRCS told me about the position. I definitely wouldn’t have been looking for it without my internship there. I had a really small window of opportunity to apply for it. The day I saw the ad, I only had a few days to apply before it closed,” Tucker said. “I’m happy I landed a federal job with good benefits. And I’m going to be doing something I really enjoy.”
Tucker will be working at Sylamore National Forest in Fifty-Six. He said he believes his internship played a major role in him being selected for his new position, not only because of the networking that led him to learning about the position, but also the experience he gained at the NRCS.
“I assisted my supervisor there with checking conservation practice plans and helping landowners install plans,” Tucker said. “Having that on my resume definitely helped me get this position, and I was able to talk about those experiences during my interview.”
As a forestry technician, commonly known as a timber marker, Tucker will be responsible for measuring trees, estimating timber defects and the quality of timber, marking timber and preparing for timber harvests.
