"I'm honestly a little speechless trying to put my experience at the 76th APRA Conference into words!

Receiving the scholarship was such a full-circle moment — as a first-timer, it truly felt like this conference was meant to happen for me. It's genuinely one of the greatest opportunities I've had in my career so far.

If I had to pick one takeaway, it would be the people. The connections I made this week are, without a doubt, the biggest gift I'm walking away with.

And honestly, where do I even stop?

The energy, the incredible learning sessions, the breakout activities, the conference app that made navigating everything so seamless, the activity feed contest, volunteering opportunities, room hosting, the electric speakers, the endlessly supportive APRA team, the auctions, the freebies, the professional headshots... I could genuinely go on.

To sum it all up — this conference changed me. It pushed me to explore new avenues as a professional, helped me find my niche, opened doors to create opportunities for myself, and reassured me that I am in the right profession.

Grateful doesn't even begin to cover it."

-Antara Chaughule

"What a great week at the APRA conference!

I had an awesome time attending the conference with my City of Avondale Parks, Recreation & Libraries team. It was a great opportunity to connect, learn from some fantastic session speakers, and bring back new ideas and inspiration to the work we do for our community.

Of course, we made time for some fun too, including taking on the mechanical shark!

Grateful for the opportunity to learn, laugh, and spend time with such a great team. Looking forward to putting some of what we learned into action!"

-Brittany Garcia

"Another great year at the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association's 76th Annual Conference! I'm truly grateful to be surrounded by individuals who share the same passion and commitment to creating meaningful programs that enhance the overall quality of life in our communities. I look forward to continuing to grow my network through the association and connecting with even more parks and recreation professionals."

-Dania Ascencio

"First Arizona Parks and Recreation Association Conference in the books! 

What an experience! I had a blast learning, meeting people who are just as passionate about Parks & Rec, and volunteering at the “Pitch”er’s Mound in the exhibit hall. I even got to meet Mark “The Smashing Machine” Kerr!

Definitely a humbling reminder of how much there is to learn and how many great people there are in this field. Grateful for the opportunity and already looking forward to the next one!"

-Zachary Aird

"Conference comes and goes so quickly!

So much work, time, and effort is put in by the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association and many parks & rec professionals statewide, the few days doesn't seem long enough to appreciate it. However, the effort shows through and I always leave feeling grateful and reenergized from the learning opportunities, the new experiences, and the time to connect with my parks & rec pals.

Thank you to the conference committee and all who dedicate their time to create an ultimate experience for us."

-Jody Dutra

"What a week at the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association Conference. 

Getting to be around so many friends in this industry, and meeting new people while seeing things through a bit of a different lens this time, was honestly just energizing. Our booth didn't slow down once, and that's a testament to how hard the committee and APRA staff worked to put this whole thing together."

-Robert Carmona