Ben Aybar '21
Ben Aybar ’21 stopped by Glenn Hasslinger and Tessa Johnson’s America’s National Parks class on Nov. 21 to share his experience as an intern for the Pullman National Historical Park, located just outside Chicago, Illinois. He shared that PNHP is a new park and is very different from what most people think about when they think about National Parks, such as Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon. Mr. Aybar explained that PNHP is much smaller in size, near an urban city center and was designated a National Park due to its significant historic origins in the Pullman Car Company, which manufactured railroad cars from the late 19th to early 20th century.
Notably, this was also the setting of the violent Pullman strike in 1894 and the reason for us celebrating Labor Day in the United States. PNHP is a great place to learn about workers rights, civil rights and the history of African American labor in the north. Pullman National Historical Park was created by President Obama in 2015 and encompasses the Administration Buildings and Pullman Factory, as well as Hotel Florence.
Mr. Aybar spoke about his time working there as an intern, where he was primarily focused on community outreach to get the word out about the historic site. He also worked at a summer camp with kids who lived in the area to teach them about the park, gave tours and learned a lot about the National Parks system as a result. He spoke with tremendous pride about this little-known National Park and for his love of the Windy City, as well. Hackley students loved his presentation and there were many questions and conversations with him even after the class ended.
The America’s National Parks course is designed to teach students about America’s vast National Parks system, including its history, challenges, environmental initiatives, safety concerns and the criteria for being named a National Park. The course includes a nine-day trip during spring break to two National Parks in California, Joshua Tree and Channel Islands.
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