Junior Angler Interns Offer Guidance in Summer Youth Program
- friendsofcanaveral
- 17 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Lisa D. Mickey
Student interns once again provided helping hands in Canaveral National Seashore’s Junior Angler program.
Paid internships were offered for the fifth summer in the park through grant funding made available by the National Park Foundation.
Summer fishing clinics designed to instruct junior anglers in the basics of fishing were offered during the months of June and July to youngsters ages 8-15. All fishing gear was supplied by the program with Friends of Canaveral purchasing the fishing bait.
Working alongside park staff to teach kids how to fish responsibly and safely, interns Jack Dunkerton of Titusville, James “LJ” Friel of Edgewater, Connor Graham of New Smyrna Beach and Skylar Schley of Deland all served as the program’s 2026 summer leaders.
“Working here has given me a good sense of fulfillment,” said Graham, returning for his second summer at the park as a Junior Angler intern. “It’s doing something fun and enjoyable, while teaching in the process.”
A rising high school senior, Graham said he most enjoyed “the experience of working with the park and its personnel” and hopes that his two internships at Canaveral National Seashore will help him “get a foot in the door” with the National Park Service in the future.
As for highlights from the summer program, Graham said it has to be catching fish and watching the expressions on the faces of his young anglers.
“Kids are always happy when catching fish,” he said.
This was the first time that Friel, a junior at Spruce Creek High School, had participated in Canaveral’s Junior Angler program. He enjoyed teaching kids how to fish and learned how to manage and maintain the program’s fishing equipment each day. He also marveled at the number of fish his campers caught one day at Seminole Rest, as well as the amount of natural flora and fauna he regularly experienced in the national park.
“I enjoyed being outdoors the most, as well as how much nature and how many animals we saw each day,” added Friel.
Working with young campers also gave the interns an opportunity to work on their “people skills, which are important,” added Friel.
And his summer takeaway?
“The experience of working at a National Seashore is worth so much more than working somewhere else,” said Friel. “We all should treat nature better.”
College students Schley and Dunkerton used this year’s internship as a building block in their respective future careers. It was the first time for each working in the national park.
A senior biology major at the University of Iowa, Dunkerton hopes to work as a biologist or ranger with the National Park Service or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Schley, currently at Daytona State College working toward a degree in wildlife ecology, hopes to work in conservation or wildlife ecology.
“I love the unique ecosystem the park is in, as well as the experience of teaching programs to kids,” said Dunkerton, who also had an opportunity during his internship to assist the park staff with its sea turtle program, conservation projects and park maintenance.
He added that interns in the Junior Angler program not only intersected with kids, parents and co-workers who are “like-minded” about the park, but they also had the chance to assist with “environmental teaching about ethical practices” – providing a valuable lesson to young anglers.
“Teaching educational programs is very rewarding and it has been a great steppingstone for my career,” said Dunkerton. “The experience I gained from teaching, fishing and contributing volunteer hours has helped me grow.”
Schley agreed, adding: “What I enjoyed most was when kids were genuinely excited to learn and when they had those A-HA moments. This is about changing hearts and minds, and I felt good going home every day knowing that I may have made a difference.”
Of course, the interns helped youngsters learn to use a rod and reel, determine which bait to use and how to maintain fishing equipment, but kids also were taught about stewardship, ethical angling and how to properly handle wildlife.
“You can tell when a kid is really engaged and excited,” said Schley, who grew up fishing and still enjoys the sport. “Every kid who came into the program and was ready to learn and make a difference gave me hope for the future. Some days brought tears to my eyes.”
And while the summer program was all about teaching kids to fish, it also was about helping young adults working with kids find their own meaning while they gained experience encouraging others.
When asked what was her takeaway from her experience as a Junior Angler intern, Schley, who also volunteers at Marine Discovery Center, just smiled.
“That my small voice can inspire an entire generation,” she said. “I want to get as much experience as possible and ethical angling is something that really means a lot to me.”
Which truly may be shared each summer with young anglers at Canaveral National Seashore.
