The "Decision": Planning for After High School and Beyond with Transportation YOU
By Kyla D'Sa, WTS-DC
May 2022
What advice would you give your freshman self? How can you optimize your success in college? How do you balance your mental health in college? These were some of the insightful questions students posed during the Transportation YOU May 4, 2022 virtual event with Cardozo High School in Washington, DC. In addition to providing students with exposure to STEM-related fields, the Transportation YOU program continues to leverage local professional knowledge to empower students to make informed and thoughtful post-high school decisions that will continue to serve them long-term.
May is a time of the year when seniors get ready to transition from high school to college and juniors begin to plan their next steps after graduating from high school. For many students, the process can be overwhelming and bring up many questions. Brandon Buckner, Deputy Division Administration at the FHWA DC Division Office, and Kyla D’Sa, transportation analyst at Kimley Horn of DC, broke down the “Decision” into categories, including “Choosing a College," “Paying for College," “Choosing a Major," and “Choosing a Career Path." The presentation emphasized the importance of understanding your strengths, personality type, and desired lifestyle after college. Brandon and Kyla offered the students some questions to ask themselves and things to consider for each category and then opened the floor for discussion.
For some students, the "Decision," including college and trade school options, can reveal various emotions, including vulnerability, hope, excitement, and nervousness. Ideally, these conversations are in-person to facilitate the human connection, but the virtual format utilized during this event still created a safe space for the discussion. Students were together in a classroom in their school, and the speakers joined via a Teams meeting. The Transportation YOU committee continues to pivot to best support and create safe spaces for our students to learn, be themselves, and ask questions.
The Transportation YOU team is planning our events for the next academic year. If you are interested in being a speaker or getting involved, please reach out to Barbara Moreno.