Ranger Candra Workman

For Park Ranger Candra Workman, the journey to South Carolina State Parks wasn’t a straight line — it was a winding path shaped by travel, curiosity, and a lifelong love for the outdoors. Today, she serves as the first Park Ranger at May Forest State Park, bringing energy, creativity, and deep passion to one of the state’s newest parks.

Candra’s childhood didn’t have a single ZIP code. With both parents serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, her family moved constantly, sometimes returning to the same place just long enough to call it home again. “I often say I grew up in Miami because we moved there twice, seven years total, which was the longest we stayed anywhere,” she explains. Still, South Carolina roots run deep. Each summer, she returned to Cheraw and Myrtle Beach to spend time with extended family. By her junior year of high school, her family moved to Summerville, and she hasn’t left the state since.

Her love for the natural world sparked early. “No matter where we lived my mom made sure we went to local parks, zoos, and aquariums,” she says. By fifth grade, she was already certain of one thing: “I knew for sure that I was going to work in conservation and eco-tourism.” The question was how. That answer arrived years later, in a college course on national parks. “I realized the best way to reach my goal was to start close to home             and SCPRT was the perfect fit.”

After earning her Bachelor of Science in Marine Science from Coastal Carolina University in 2023, Candra joined the SC State Park Service almost immediately. She started at Hunting Island State Park as a program specialist, caring for animals, leading guided hikes, and supporting the park’s educational programs. Six months later, she moved into an assistant ranger role, gaining new skills and responsibilities. In December 2024, she was promoted to her current position at May Forest.

Her combination of skills customer service, science, communications, and a natural comfort of working with people, has proven invaluable. “I worked in the service industry during college, and that’s where I learned my customer service skills and how to be comfortable with public speaking,” she says. Her degree, meanwhile, helps her interpret the park’s landscape and wildlife. Even her physics classes come in handy: “I go back all the time to what I learned… when I work on electrical issues.” The learning never stops.

At May Forest, Candra wears many hats and makes it look easy. She serves as the safety officer, customer service representative, volunteer coordinator, and programs coordinator, all while performing routine and preventive maintenance. “Some days I feel like I am everything AND the kitchen sink,” she says. “And I wouldn’t change a single thing.”

Her favorite part of the job? Interacting with visitors. Whether she’s patrolling the grounds or leading programs, those moments spark conversations she genuinely treasures. “I love every chance I get to answer questions and talk about the history of the property and our future plans for it,” she says. These conversations often spark new ideas, like her recently launched birding programs. “May Forest is a popular spot for bird watching, but I would have never known that if I hadn’t gone to a visitor and asked how their day was going.”

Her park experiences come with plenty of humor, too. At Hunting Island’s Halloween event one year, she ran the “scare like a ghost” station during a scavenger hunt. “I didn’t realize I’d set myself up. Kids kept sneaking up on me, yelling ‘BOO!’ And a lot of them really got me.” By the end of the night, she says, it had become a favorite event.

Candra speaks with particular pride about her work at May Forest, where community connection plays a central role. “This year we partnered with SCDNR for a beach sweep, and I got to meet so many people who are just as passionate about conservation as I am,” she says. Those shared values energize her, especially on challenging days.

She sums up her job in one word: passion. “That is what you need to have in your heart to keep doing the job you love,” she explains. It’s what carries her through storm cleanup or long days spent cutting and hauling debris. “When I am hot and tired… I remind myself of the end goal: how beautiful the park is going to look, and that visitors will think the same thing when they see it.”

For anyone considering a future in parks, Candra has clear advice: take the leap. 

“I have lost count of how many people have told me that they wished that that had chosen to be a park ranger when they were younger. My response is that it is never too late. If you are passionate about what you are doing and a hard worker, you can do anything."

Whether she’s sharing the history of May Forest, connecting with community partners, or jumping in to help at parks across the state, Ranger Candra Workman brings dedication, curiosity, and heart to every day on the job. For a ranger whose life has been shaped by movement, discovery, and the ocean’s pull, she’s found a home that fits right here in South Carolina’s state parks.

Think you might be interested in a career with the South Carolina State Park Service? Click here to see our current full-time job openings, or reach out to a park near you to learn more about part-time opportunities.