HARRISBURG — Department of Conservation and Natural Resources secretary Cindy Adams Dunn recently visited Little Buffalo State Park for ceremony honoring the 2024 graduates of the department’s ranger trainee academy.

“We are proud of our 2024 class of graduates and look forward to seeing their impact at our parks this summer and beyond,” Dunn said. “Our rangers and park managers are key in providing positive visitor experiences, in addition to their duties as sworn law enforcement officers. I am confident that their hard work during training has prepared these graduates for long and successful careers within our state parks syst`em.”

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Bureau of State Parks employs park rangers to oversee law enforcement in state parks and forests.

State park ranger and manager trainees must complete a 19-week academy that includes training to learn to provide visitor services, educational programs and information, specifics of equipment use, enforcing rules and Commonwealth law, and more.

Ranger graduates for 2024 included Lucas Sottolano (Bald Eagle State Park), Matt Colson (French Creek State Park), Joshua Jones (Shawnee State Park), Katherine Kelly (Little Pine State Park), Dan McEachern (Moraine State Park), Peyton Bontz (Moraine State Park), Shane Sikora (Keystone State Park), Leah Woytek (Keystone State Park), Benjamin Trexler (Ridley Creek State Park), Thomas Meyers (Neshaminy State Park), Kyle Yacyk (Neshaminy State Park), Nick Patitucci (Nockamixon State Park), Jill Parisien (Nockamixon State Park), Cody Conrad (Delaware Canal State Park), Dalton Treon (Prince Gallitzin State Park), Genevieve Babetski (Rickets GLen State Park), Makayla Eberly (Pine Grove Furnace State Park), Ethan Joseph (Ohiopyle State Park), Juan Rosado (Tyler State Park), Emily McCoy (Gifford Pinchot State Park), Kyle Kamisnky (Lackawanna State Park), Kelle Halfpenney (Caledonia State Park), Brian Poffenberger (Caledonia State Park), Christopher Karasweicz (Promised Land State Park), Vanessa Wolf (Promised Land State Park).

The manager trainee graduates were Scott Morgan (Lyman Run State Park), Benjamin Bender (Northcentral Region), Mack Hawkins (Western Region) and Liam Goldbach (Eastern Region).

“I am proud of our 2024 graduates and the commitment to service the have demonstrated through the academy,” State Parks Director John Hallas said. “Completing the ranger academy is a tremendous accomplishment, and I am excited to see them demonstrate what they have learned at their respective parks this summer and going forward.”