White House Administrator Encourages Girls to Explore Transportation

A group of young women had a special opportunity July 29 to participate in an intimate roundtable discussion with Therese McMillan, deputy administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The teenagers, part of a program that encourages at-risk girls to explore male-dominated fields, heard stories about the challenges and rewards of being a female in transportation from McMillan and several of her Advancing Women in Transportation (WTS) colleagues. 

The session took place at MTC, where McMillan served as deputy director before joining the Obama Administration in Washington, D.C.

“There is a wealth of amazing women in this field,” McMillan told the girls, all students at East Bay middle and high schools. “We all had different paths, but a lot of it was depending on each other. And we all stayed in our jobs because we have a passion for what we do.”

McMillan emphasized the diversity of career options in the transportation field, pointing to the WTS members as examples.

“The experiences of the folks around the table — law, policy, engineering, politics, communications, HR — all of those can be brought to bear in transportation,” she said. “You can pretty much go any place this field takes you. This industry’s changing a lot and you all are going to bring new interests and skills to the table that will be really helpful.”

Fifteen-year-old Samantha Ortega appreciated McMillan’s focus on the range of careers available in transportation. She likes her English and history classes and knows she doesn’t want to be an engineer, but was intrigued by the other aspects of the field McMillan and the WTS representatives introduced.

“It opened my eyes to something new,” said Ortega, who will be the first person in her family to attend college. “I’m not usually a quiet person, but I’m just sitting here and listening, figuring out if this is what I might want to do.”

Ortega and the other young women in the room have all participated in Girls, Inc.’s Eureka! program since they were in 7th grade. Through the program, they get exposure to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Several of them toured the local Caldecott Fourth Bore construction project earlier this summer.

For Dajah Mitchell, 17, the event was hardly an introduction to the transportation field. The incoming high school senior attended a youth transportation summit in Washington, D.C. Mitchell, whose own career interests run the gamut from marketing to medicine, liked “learning about people’s jobs and how much they love what they do” at the roundtable.  

When asked about her favorite part of her job, McMillan told the girls, “It’s knowing that everything I do helps people out on the street every day. You might be building a bridge, but what you’re doing is allowing someone to go from their city to their job.”

And she has first-hand experience with the products of her labor. “I don’t have a car, so I’m living the dream with public transportation,” she said. 

One of the few men at the event, Leslie Rogers, regional administrator for the FTA, said McMillan’s professional journey is a testament to the potential of women in transportation. Before the FTA named her to its number two position in 2009, McMillan worked at MTC for 25 years. “When she was working at MTC, she had to come to me. Now she’s the boss!” Rogers said.

During the roundtable, several WTS representatives gave the girls advice. MTC Chairperson and Orinda Councilmember Amy Worth had big plans for the young women. “My great hope is that one of you will someday replace me,” she said. “Transportation is such a great opportunity for women. We’re all here to help you and support you.”

The event was cosponsored by the White House Office of Public Engagement, the US Department of Transportation and the WTS San Francisco Bay Area chapter. 

—Natalie Orenstein