It gives us great pleasure to read the testimonials of our Traffic Engineering + Transportation Consulting Intern Program participants. From providing real-world experiences to add to their academic knowledge to seeing how the program creates opportunities for professional growth, these reactions remind us of the value of the program.
Actively Participate in Transportation Projects with the W+A Team
“Throughout my internship, I had the chance to actively take part in a variety of projects, working alongside the design, engineering and TDM teams. I worked on a multi-modal transportation plan for a project and understood the process of traffic impact studies with the engineering team. As part of the design team, these projects included activities like completing traffic impact studies, contributing to signal striping plans, and working on MOT (Maintenance of Traffic) plans.”
– Past program participant
Participate in the Development of Multimodal Transportation
“Alongside the TDM team, I also took part in marketing initiatives to publicize metro services and other forms of transportation. These endeavors have proven to be crucial for my career and personal development. Beyond the theoretical knowledge I learned from textbooks, they gave me priceless insights into the actual execution of projects.”
– Intern program testimonial
Hands-On Learning in Real-World Situations
“I developed a thorough understanding of project lifecycles, procedural workflows, and effective communication strategies. Learning how to collaborate with regulatory bodies such as VDOT and identifying authoritative information sources for research were pivotal aspects of this hands-on learning journey. I owe a great deal of gratitude to the hardworking individuals on the teams who helped to shape my understanding. Their mentoring and direction not only helped me improve my technical abilities but also greatly increased my understanding of the complexity of real-world project execution. Without a doubt, this experience has enriched my academic background.”
– Past student intern
Professional Mentoring in Real-Time
“The guidance of senior engineers at W+A has been extremely valuable. They assisted me in understanding the nuances of practical application as they walked me through difficult analyses and design processes. Their feedback on my work not only improved my technical skills but also refined my problem-solving approach. Learning from their experiences showed me the importance of considering long-term implications and fostering collaborative thinking.”
On-the-Job Training
“One challenge I faced during my internship was figuring out how to best use AutoCAD and the different templates. I overcame this by asking coworkers for help and guidance.”
An On-Ramp to Developing Professional Skills and Understanding
“The journey was incredibly enlightening, and each day was a valuable learning experience. I distinctly recall my initial coordination call on my first Monday at W+A where I struggled to grasp fragments of information. However, in contrast, on one of the final coordination call’s of my internship, I felt a significant transformation. I was able to fully comprehend the scope of everyone’s projects and even help where needed. This progression fills me with a deep sense of satisfaction.”
Develop Professional Collaboration and Communication Skills
“Attending meetings and lunches was probably where I was able to gain the most knowledge and professional growth. Having one-on-one meetings/training with coworkers at the beginning of the internship helped as well. The largest impact the senior engineers had on me was teaching me how to communicate with clients and coworkers as well as learning how to work quickly but still do good work.”