{"id":725,"date":"2021-04-01T19:39:48","date_gmt":"2021-04-01T19:39:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8009\/stories\/?p=725"},"modified":"2025-05-08T14:39:29","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T14:39:29","slug":"forestry-puts-alabama-am-grad-in-the-middle-of-the-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forestrycareers.com\/stories\/forestry-puts-alabama-am-grad-in-the-middle-of-the-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Forestry Puts Alabama A&M Grad In the Middle of the Action"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In our Rayonier Graduates<\/a> series, we\u2019re talking to recent Forestry College graduates who now work for Rayonier. In this story, <\/strong> Forester DeShaun Mincey shares his career journey, from serving in the U.S. Navy, to studying forestry and fighting wildfires at Alabama A&M University, to Rayonier.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama\u2014Whether guiding a helicopter landing on a ship, or fighting a raging forest fire on a mountainside, DeShaun Mincey thrives when he\u2019s in the middle of the action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what attracted the Rayonier Technical Forester to pursue a forest science degree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOther students just sit in class all day, but in forestry we\u2019re in the forest, walking around, driving ATVs, traveling. We have a good time,\u201d says the Alabama A&M graduate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Uvaldia, Georgia, native, DeShaun hadn\u2019t heard of forestry when he started college as an environmental science major.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"AAMU
DeShaun uses a clinometer to measure tree height during one of his AAMU forestry classes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Unique Team of Wildland Firefighters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Then he met the school\u2019s wildland firefighting team, the FireDawgs. Most of the members were forestry students. DeShaun applied for the team\u2014and switched majors\u2014that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FireDawgs are one of the only college forest firefighter teams in the state of Alabama. Trained by the Alabama Forestry Commission, they fight wildfires, manage controlled burns and educate the public on fire prevention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Learn more about the team in our interview with FireDawgs President Jonathan Brown, AAMU FireDawgs Fight and Prevent Alabama Wildfires<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"AAMU
DeShaun found his passion fighting fires with the Fire Dawgs, AAMU’s wildland firefighting team.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

DeShaun quickly confirmed that the team, and forestry, were the perfect fit. From a very early age, he hunted with his grandfather and developed a passion for the outdoors. Add to that the excitement of the wide variety of responsibilities foresters take on, including fire prevention and management, and he knew he was in the right place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe do a lot,\u201d he said. \u201cWe build maps, study soil science, take site indexes to see how well a tree can grow on different sites. We cruise forests<\/a> to determine the value of the timber. We do prescribed burns, wetland studies. I enjoy it all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Military Discipline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

DeShaun is known for his disciplined approach to continuing to make himself better in school and in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI got that drive from the military,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DeShaun served in the U.S. Navy for four years. Joining right after high school, he rose in the ranks to become a helicopter mechanic. Working aboard the carrier ship U.S.S. Roosevelt, he not only repaired and inspected helicopters, but also directed their landings when the carrier was out to sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Before studying forestry, DeShaun served in the U.S. Navy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Volunteering with the Fire Dawgs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After his four years in the Navy wrapped up, DeShaun started college. It was not long after the school year started that he tried out for the Fire Dawgs. It wasn\u2019t easy to make the team: each member has to pass an intense agility test, carrying a 45 lb. pack across 3 miles in 45 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLast fall we fought a fire on the side of a mountain,\u201d DeShaun recalls. \u201cWe hopped on it before the U.S. forest service came.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur job was to put in fire lines to stop the fire from jumping the field. We used chainsaws, rakes and garden hoes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
DeShaun uses a drip torch during a controlled burn discussion at AAMU. \/ Photo courtesy of AAMU<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Advice for future students<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

DeShaun highly recommends studying forestry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLook into it!\u201d he says. \u201cYou get to travel all the time, you\u2019re outside a lot, it\u2019s never boring. It\u2019s a great career field.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He says the Alabama A&M Forestry faculty actively presents opportunities to students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey were always coming to us with places we could go, scholarships we could apply for,\u201d he says. \u201cI traveled to so many places while I was in college: Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky, North Carolina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why all the travel? Forestry students need to experience forests in different climates, so they often travel for classes. They also attend national forestry conferences and a special annual event called Conclave, in which they compete in both academic and \u201clumberjack\u201d style events. You can learn more about the action-packed competition in our article about the 2019 Conclave in Louisiana<\/a>, which DeShaun attended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DeShaun says the forestry industry will continue to become more diverse as more youths learn about the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes I wonder how people never heard of it. Everything is made of wood<\/a>!\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
DeShaun says working for Rayonier is “the best job I ever had.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Working for Rayonier<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

DeShaun graduated in December 2020 and immediately began his job as a technical forester at Rayonier\u2019s Jesup, Georgia, location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy favorite quote is, if you\u2019re distracted, you\u2019re not focused,\u201d DeShaun says. \u201cSo I focus and work hard on becoming the best forester and overall individual I can be. I enjoy working for Rayonier and the Coastal Resource Unit. I\u2019ve learned a lot from my supervisor and colleagues in the short amount of time I\u2019ve been here. This job is by far the best job I ever had.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Learn<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In our Rayonier Graduates series, we\u2019re talking to recent Forestry College graduates who now work for Rayonier. In this story,  Forester DeShaun Mincey shares his career journey, from serving in the U.S. Navy, to studying forestry and fighting wildfires at Alabama A&M University, to Rayonier.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":727,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ryn_post_video":""},"categories":[5,2,63,41,42],"tags":[75,18,10,7,44],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nRayonier Graduates: Forester DeShaun Mincey | Rayonier Stories<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Forester DeShaun Mincey shares his career journey, from serving in the U.S. Navy to studying forestry and fighting wildfires at Alabama A&M University, to Rayonier.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/forestrycareers.com\/stories\/forestry-puts-alabama-am-grad-in-the-middle-of-the-action\/\" \/>\r\n<meta 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