Octa's transportation blog

College Students Immerse Themselves in Transportation

Members of the WTS Transportation Academy kicked off their two-week immersion into different facets of the transportation industry with an information-packed day at OCTA. Sponsored by The Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) of Orange County, the academy offers undergraduate and graduate college students an opportunity to learn about management, finance, operations and planning, engineering, construction management and public involvement principles. 

Students attended a morning roundtable that included a meet-and-greet and panel discussion featuring CEO Darrell Johnson and staff members Rose Casey, Director of Highway Programs, Kristen Essner, Manager of State and Federal Relations, Sam Kaur, Manager of Strategic Planning, and Christina Byrne, Manager of Public Outreach. The panelists shared advice and discussed their roles at OCTA, educational backgrounds, career paths, and major lessons learned.

The students then boarded an OCTA bus and headed south for a construction tour of the I-5 South County Improvements Project. During the bus ride, academy participants learned about other OCTA projects, including the I-405 Improvement Project, I-5 Central County Improvements Project, OC Streetcar, Costa Mesa Freeway (SR-55) Improvement Project, and I-5 Improvement SR-73 to Oso Parkway Project.

WTS is an international organization of transportation professionals committed to excellence in the transportation industry. The transportation academy is just one of the many opportunities the organization provides to students to promote and recognize women in the field of transportation.