Empowering Students for a Bright Future
In September, the WTS-LA Transportation YOU Committee hosted the annual Girls Empowerment Day online. The event included students and staff from four high schools in the Los Angeles County area: Dorsey, Westchester, Azusa and Girls Academic Leadership Academy (GALA).
This year’s event shifted to a virtual one complete with critical thinking activities (from USC student groups who led the ice breaker activity), a panel of industry leaders who shared valuable insights, breakout sessions (a quick study of designing complete streets and creating an effective elevator speech), and a short yoga session lead by professional yogi
Linda Garrison. The panel included WTS-LA Director at Large Cynthia Guidry, Director of Long Beach Airport; Carrie Bowen, California Highway and Roads Leader for HDR; and Danielle Dirksen an Urban Studies and Planning student at USC.
The annual event is an opportunity to present various career pathways in transportation, an industry often overlooked. Transportation YOU is a national mentoring program that offers young girls ages 13-18 an introduction to a wide variety of transportation careers. Committee members are enjoying the partnership with local educators and students and are already planning the next interaction with students.