Come Together for Mikayla

Hey there, my name is Mikayla and I have been a dedicated public servant for the last 5 years. I really enjoy helping others have a safe and fun time learning about and exploring the outdoors. My goal in the future is to become a supervisory park ranger, but my career has been put on hold by the current administration.

On January 22, my formal job offer for the Bureau of Land Management was rescinded just a week away from when I was supposed to move across the country. I had been applying to jobs when my health took a turn in September because of how physically demanding my current position as a forestry technician with the Forest Service was, so this rescission was extremely devastating. On February 13, I received a call that all probationary employees—people who are in their first year or two depending on how they were hired—are to be terminated, and on February 14, I had to show up to the office to get handed termination paperwork. The reason for letting us go was "due to performance," but in the same stack of papers I was handed was my performance evaluation with all marks as "Fully Successful." I decided to share my story on social media, which garnered media attention. On February 21, I got a phone call offering me a dream position with the National Park Service that I had applied to months ago, but that it would likely just be a name to fill the empty space and no promises that the position will be available for me after the federal hiring freeze.

On February 25, I received an email stating that mission-critical position terminations were rescinded, but I was the only one on my crew to get this email even though we all held the same position. The email ended with, "If you choose not to return to work you will need to submit a resignation or you will be terminated for failure to report to duty." This did not make sense since I was already terminated and I was the only one on my crew to speak out to the media. After my supervisor told me that getting reasonable accommodation for my arthritis caused by the job would be a huge pain for them and a couple of other seemingly threatening emails, I put in my resignation on April 1 due to a hostile work environment. There may be some recourse for me in the future, but my bills can't wait, unfortunately.

I have been applying to other positions since January, but with thousands of highly qualified applicants entering the job search, I have had no luck, and with thousands more about to enter with Reductions-in-Force, things are looking very bleak for me. I've even applied to grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants, you name it. Making this GoFundMe is honestly a last resort for me because, unlike what the current administration thinks, I am a hard worker and I'd rather be working a job than asking for money online. All donations will go towards my living expenses and bills, and I truly appreciate all of the support I've received so far!