Congrats to Bethany Spencer who joined GOCO as a communications intern in May 2024! She's a high school senior at Dawson School in Lafayette and will be interning at GOCO for two weeks as part of her senior project. 

Bethany Spencer on a casual walk amongst a forest.

 What did you do before you came to GOCO?

I’ve been going to Dawson School from 1st to 12th grade and will be graduating in May 2024. I’ll be attending Chapman University in the Fall 2024 to major in Public Relations, Advertising, Entertainment and Marketing at Dodge College in Chapman.

What brought you to GOCO? 

For our big final project, every senior must complete 70 hours of community service, or an internship followed by a presentation about our learnings to our family, faculty sponsor, and the senior class. I wanted to do my internship at GOCO in the communications department because I love the outdoors and how GOCO thinks of ideas and events to support conservation. I think this internship will help me complete my project and I’ll be able to integrate what I learn into my future career. 

What has been your favorite part of working here so far?

Getting to know everyone on the first day. Everyone is so kind and seems very dedicated and passionate about their job and working at GOCO. 

What is your typical day like?

My typical day is both relaxing and chaotic. I go to school and do what every high schooler does: go to class, do homework, do after-school activities, and spend time with friends and family. If there’s time, I try to go on walks with family and our dogs, work out, or hang out with friends and do something together. 

Bethany Spencer in a polaroid style photo posing at a lake with trees in the background, presumably after a hike.

 What are some of your favorite things to do outdoors?

I love going on walks, hanging out at parks or trails, and group night hikes. My favorite is going on group night hikes, then going for a late-night drive to buy food. I also like to chill and relax at a park on a sunny day.  

Where is your favorite place to get outdoors in Colorado? 

My favorite place to get outdoors is Boulder because it has so many outdoor parks, trails, and hikes. I recommend going to Chautauqua Trail or Green Mountain West Ridge Trail located on Flagstaff Trail. 

What is your most memorable outdoors mishap?

For my senior trip, the senior class and some faculty went backpacking on Lost Lake Hessie Trailhead. After all the groups went on their separate trails, my group and another group tried to meet up. Unfortunately, a runner with a dog told us that there was an aggressive moose near the group we were trying to meet with. We heard some of them were charged by the moose and had to climb a tree, so we had to turn around. We got stuck between two aggressive moose in the distance for two hours! But eventually we got back to our campsite. In the end, it was a very eventful trip.

What is the coolest wildlife you have spotted while outdoors in Colorado?

When I was little, my whole family went to our cabin in the mountains. During the night, we heard something outside and looked out the window—there was a black bear near one of our cars. There were a few snacks in our car we forgot to take out. Thankfully, the car wasn’t damaged, and the bear ran away due to the dogs barking inside. It was interesting, but also scary to see a black bear in the wild, especially at a young age.