In his first solo trip away from his Orange County home, 17-year-old Ian Macdonald spent five whirlwind days in the nation’s capital learning about transportation, listening to a member of Congress, touring the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Department of Transportation, and then hearing the words that made him realize what he wants to do as a career: “There is no other job in the world where your decision will help 35 million Americans.”
That comment, spoken by a congressional staffer, reinforced Macdonald’s goal of working for the government in a department or as an elected official.
A member of the OCTA Teen Council, Macdonald was in Washington, D.C. as a guest of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). For the past four years, APTA has conducted a youth summit to advance education and promote careers in public transportation. Macdonald heard about the opportunity through his volunteer work on the Teen Council, which provides feedback on transportation-related issues and projects and shares insights on emerging trends with OCTA staff.
The Cypress High School senior, who hopes to attend Columbia Law School, thoughtfully reflected on his trip: “I learned that the world of transportation is much more important than many of us realize and that there are things that need to be done in the future to better support the environment and a growing population. Being in Washington, D.C., it was very interesting to see the amount of politically active residents there. Everyone had a sign in their window supporting certain laws and decisions. Most of the speakers that presented to us had information that explained why a career in transportation is something to be strongly considered as we grow to become the next generation of leaders of the world.”
Through July 31, 2015, OCTA is accepting applications to the Teen Council for the 2015-2016 school year. For more information, click here.
