"I did not enter the field of parks and recreation through a collegiate degree. I was always active in my local parks and recreation agency and was a seasonal employee (youth sports official, lifeguard, pool manager), but during my collegiate years, I worked my way toward a career in communications, specifically seeing myself working for a newspaper the rest of my life as a reporter and editor. (You see how that went!)
Fast forward 13 years in parks and recreation, and much of my 'expertise' has come from my real-world experience at Hutch Rec, especially in marketing, special event planning, and programming. However, there were several administrative and parts of the profession that I knew I needed to grow in and expand my knowledge. I wanted to combine my real-world training with the professional knowledge of the field and desired to become a Certified Parks & Recreation Professional.
For those who haven’t had the traditional parks and recreation education (and really, for those who have), I would strongly recommend taking advantage of the study tools for the CPRP exam."
- Amy Conkling, HutchRec