SHE IS Outside enjoying the ocean,...

SHE IS

Outside enjoying the ocean, while making sure everyone else can

too.

A great environment

Think work, and some people think cubicle. But when sandy beaches

and the ocean are your office atmosphere, work seems like a walk in

the park, said Sarah Nanley, who works for the California State Parks

as a senior park aid.

She loves her job and her office setting.

This is Nanley’s fourth year on the job. She found out about it on

a job board, and tried it out because it was on the beach.

“It’s a great job, being outside, working at the beach and

interacting with people. I like everyone I work with which makes it

an added bonus,” said Nanley.

The gatekeeper

As a park aid Nanley deals with the revenue department as one of

her tasks, collecting entrance fees and checking parking passes.

On the weekend, when it’s really busy, she patrols the parking

lots, helps look for and designate parking spots and dodges the

traffic flooding toward the beach while she puts cones up.

She also has the duty of closing the parking lots and shutting the

gates when they are at capacity.

“When the parking gets full we have to close the gates. There’s no

way to tell in advance and people get upset. We really do have to

close it and send people around,” Nanley said. “Everyone honks and

yells. Once the gate is reopened everyone is nice and happy.”

Perhaps these kinds of experiences will help Nanley with her

future career. At the end of the year she’ll have her public

relations degree from Cal State, Long Beach.

Being accountable

Despite her beautiful surroundings, Nanley also has the regular

deluge of paperwork and computer inventory.

As part of the State Parks Department, Nanley splits her time

between the headquarters off of Magnolia Street and Pacific Coast

Highway and Bolsa Chica State Beach.

“Down [at Bolsa Chica] we do camping as well as registering

camping and are making sure things are going smoothly,” she said.

Interacting with the public so often, she gets her fair share of

questions every day. She has to be ready to answer questions about

everything from park hours to parking.

The most satisfying part of her job is reuniting lost children

with their parents.

“There’s great communication between all employees, the

lifeguards, peace officers and the senior park aids,” she said.