I am the outgoing METRANS Lead Student Assistant and a recent graduate of the USC Master of Science, Civil Engineering – Transportation program.  As I reflect on my time in graduate school, there are two organizations which changed my life and to which I am eternally grateful.  The first is METRANS, and the second is WTS.  I would like to dedicate this article, my last as an MSCE student (but definitely not the last I will write for METRANS), to the WTS Orange County (WTS-OC) chapter.   The mission of WTS is to transform the transportation industry through the advancement of women.  I can say without a doubt that WTS achieved that goal with me.  I was an active member of both the WTS-Los Angeles and the WTS-OC chapters during my time as a student at USC. I am looking forward to continuing my membership and contributions to WTS as I embark upon my career as a transportation engineer.

On June 21st, the WTS-OC chapter welcomed Chief Executive Officer of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), Darrell Johnson, to the Promenade & Gardens in Costa Mesa, allowing me and other attendees to hear firsthand how the agency’s $1.3 billion FY17-18 budget translates into innovative mobility improvements for Orange County. I and the other students in attendance found the event to be both informative and to provide a valuable opportunity for us to meet transportation professionals.  I am grateful for WTS for continually providing such valuable events and for the financial support METRANS and other sponsors provide so that students may attended WTS events.

WTS-OC 2016 – 2017 Mentors and Mentees.  Photo by Triet Dang

I am also grateful for the WTS-OC Mentorship Program and the opportunity to participate in it.  This program connects students and young professionals with experienced mentors in diverse branches of the transportation field -  engineering, planning, policy and others. Beginning with the kick-off event, and culminating with the end of year celebration pictured above, I and other mentees were given the chance to learn from both mentors and other participants in this program. Throughout the year, the chapter offered various events; my favorite was the team building event held during the winter, which taught us valuable skills for working well with others in the workplace, such as listening to ideas and working together to reach project goals. 

I was so appreciative of my mentor, Triet Dang, who works for TranSystem as a Transportation Engineer. We met each month for a lunch. He was an international student before, as am I, and he understood my concerns about job hunting and making choices. He shared with me his experiences, gave me a lot useful suggestions, and helped revise my resume and cover letter. All of this has greatly enhanced my competitiveness, and I am proud to say I have found a wonderful internship with his support. We did not only establish a year-long mentor-mentee relationship; after I graduated from this mentorship program, we became friends. In addition, I was so delighted to learn that I have been selected to continue as mentee for the 2017-2018 Mentoring Program. I will gain more knowledge from both mentors and mentees the next year and I am hoping to join the mentor program as a mentor to share my experience in the future.

About the Author

Nicole (Haichao) Guo is a recent graduated of the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering, completing a Master of Science, Civil Engineering – Transportation.  student majoring in transportation engineering at the University of Southern California. Her interests are Intelligent Transportation Systems, Transportation modeling, Highway Design, and Rail. She is also an active student member of WTS-Los Angeles and WTS-Orange County. She can be reached at [email protected].