Transit Industry Internships – Insights, Interns, and Cool Conversations

Join us as public and private sector transit leaders discuss innovative internship programs that are expanding career awareness, strengthening workforce development, and building the next generation of transit professionals. Hear directly from their current interns and recently hired interns as they share their experiences, the skills they've developed, and how these opportunities have influenced their career aspirations, professional growth, and pathways into the transit industry. 

Featured organizations:

New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority; WSP; Kimley-Horn & Associates;  Metro Transit; St. Paul Right Track Program; Chicago Transit Authority; Center for Urban Transportation Research.

Moderator:

• Geisha Ester, Chair, APTA Education and Career Awareness Subcommittee; Executive Director, National Transit Institute

Internship Program Leaders:

• Diana Arciniegas, Senior Director, Emerging Talent, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority
• Jeffrey Dorcley, Emerging Talent Coordinator, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority
• Inez Evans Benson, SVP Strategic Initiatives, WSP 
• Brittany Bolden, Early Careers Program Manager, WSP
• Mats Dale, Civil Analyst, Kimley Horn& Associates
• Craig Lamothe, Director, Guideway BRT Projects, Purple Line Project Manager, Metro Transit
• Xue Xiong, YJ1 Program Manager, City of St. Paul Right Track Program
• Kim Robinson, Vice President, Training and Workforce Development, Chicago Transit Authority
• Jodi Godfrey, Senior Research Associate, Center for Urban Transportation Research.

Interns, Fellows, Recently Hired Interns:

• Nusrat Jahan Naba, Emerging Talent Branding Intern, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority
• Siddhi Kataria, IT Operations, Tech and Engineering Fellow, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority
• Manu Gonela, Civil Engineering Intern, WSP
• Kelly Lige, Early Career Civil Engineer, WSP (Former Intern/Recently hired)
• Lidya Woldeyesus, Associate Consultant, Transportation Planning, WSP (Former Intern/Recently Hired)
• Jacy Becker, City of St Paul Intern, St. Paul Right Track Program
• George Yang, St Paul Fire Intern, St. Paul Right Track Program
• Michael Maceda, Ramsey County Public Works Intern ,St. Paul Right Track Program
• Charles Perkins, Chicago Youth Works High School Intern, Chicago Transit Authority
• Anonda Jones, Cohort Conductor College Intern, Chicago Transit Authority
• Ishi Agarwal, Program Analyst, Strategic Business Initiatives, Chicago Transit Authority
• Daniel Frolich, Ph.D. Graduate, Center for Urban Transportation Research