Irvin Barragan is a 2010 graduate of the YouthBuild Charter School of California, at San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps (SGVCC). There he earned his NCCER, CPR/First Aid, and photovoltaic installation certifications. He also became qualified as a Bobcat driver and a forklift operator. Now, Irvin works as a firefighter at Six Rivers National Forest serving with the National Forest Service.
Irvin has always been interested in firefighting, so he asked current firefighters to mentor him in applying, which eventually lead to a phone interview and a job. Irvin now enjoys working as a firefighter – even though the days are long and “something that you have to learn to love,” he says that protecting people and the environment is worth it. In his day-to-day work, Irvin works to keep everything stocked and functional on the engines, responds to fires, and is in the process of developing his own workshop to help youth in the criminal justice system experience nature conservation.
For those beginning their YouthBuild journey and thinking about firefighting or other green careers, Irvin reminds them to “choose the hard right over the easy wrong – you can’t cut corners when fighting fires, or in your personal life.”
Here in Southern California, the U.S. Forest Service has a creative partnership with The San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corp (SGVCC), which provides youth leadership and vocational training through jobs in the outdoors.
Youth have had opportunities since the national monument designation to work alongside park rangers to keep the mountains in pristine condition. This program offered me the chance to develop a meaningful relationship with the outdoors, and finally stand amidst the peaks that I’d only ever seen from a distance. It offered me a direct path to nature that transformed my life.
