Soft-spoken, yet radiating a quiet confidence, Melissa Half is on a mission. A natural-resource specialist with the BLM-Billings Field Office, Melissa is reaching out to students and encouraging them to follow her lead.

“When I go to the colleges and talk about the opportunities available, I tell them [the students] we come from the same place,” Half said. “I want them to know they can succeed, too.”

Half started with BLM in 2001 through the Student Temporary Employment Program. After a year, BLM converted her to the Student Career Employment Program as she continued her higher education.

It wasn’t her decision to join BLM, Half said. “I was pushed,” she said. “I’m a procrastinator, but my advisor, Mari Eggers, kept after me and nudged me right into BLM’s student program.”

“I never even heard of BLM before I started working here, but now I’ve grown in both my confidence and my experience,” Half said. “The nice thing about being a STEP or a SCEP is that everyone understands that you don’t have that experience at first. The whole office has shown me support. They helped me every step of the way.”

Half’s mentor, Larry Padden, a range-management specialist, encouraged her to ask questions, and that was all she needed.

“At first it was hard for me,” Half said. “I had to learn about a new culture and to make eye contact. But after awhile I was more comfortable. I asked as many questions as I could.”

With a small smile, Half said, “Now when I go home, I have to remind myself that showing respect is done differently than when I’m at work.”  

There were many many people that helped her along the way, Half said, but two really stand out in her mind: David Jaynes, with the BLM-Montana State Office, and Ken Hanify, a former BLM natural-resources specialist. Hanify now volunteers with BLM in the summers.

“David was very supportive,” Half said. “He made me feel a part of the office right off the bat and was always willing to answer my questions.”

“Working with Ken was good, too,” Half said. “He took me to the field as he completed oil and gas compliance and would ask me what I thought about the situation. Then he would explain what was going on and how the area could be rehabbed. To help me learn more, Ken would pull apart a small plant to show me how to identify it in the future.”

Now Half wants to share what she has learned with others.

The story has a similar ring to it for Sara Whitney. BLM hired her as a STEP in 2006 and then converted her to a SCEP. Also like Half, Whitney did not know anything about the agency before finding out about the student program.

“I was searching the MSU Billings’ Web site looking for job postings and found the BLM positions,” Whitney said. “I remember thinking ‘Where and what is the BLM?’

“I was amazed to learn there was so much to this agency,” Whitney said. “My first job was in the public room. I learned so much just from listening to questions from the customers. It was really beneficial to start there.”

Whitney encourages students to apply for openings.  “BLM is great,” she said. “Most people just think it is just about public lands, but there is much more than they realize. It has all of the big-business aspects. There are tons of opportunities in this office from working in the field to working in finance or directly with the public.”

Looking to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in marketing in May, Whitney said she sees herself continuing with BLM for many years.  “It is a great place to work,” she said. “The atmosphere of the organization is good and my co-workers are very supportive.”

Whitney now works in Solids. Her mentor is Connie Schaff.

“Connie is wonderful,” Whitney said. “I can go to her for any question I have and she knows the answer, or she knows where to find it. I’ve really learned a lot. I didn’t know there was so much about surface and subsurface ownership. I thought if someone owns the lands, they would naturally own the mineral estate. That’s not always the case.”

Many people have helped her as she has worked in her two different positions, Whitney said. “They have all been very supportive," she said. “Ed Hughes (Whitney’s current supervisor), is really supportive. He is always checking on me to make sure I have everything I need and to see how my studies are going.”

“This experience has been really good,” Whitney said.  “I’m hoping other students have a chance to find out about what it is like to work with BLM. I’m looking forward to telling them what BLM is all about.”