Greetings my name is Mike McDade, I am a senior in the School of Public Affairs, majoring in Urban and Metropolitan Studies, with an urban planning minor. I am a nontraditional student looking to graduate in May of 2011. My goal is to find a career in transit planning. I am a native Arizonian and have a 14 year old daughter named Jacqueline. In my previous life I was a senior dispatcher/road supervisor for Valley Metro in Tempe. I have also driven commercially both over the road and locally.
This past summer I interned with Ray Humbert associate director of Parking and Transit Services on the Tempe campus. As an Intern and a student worker on the downtown phoenix campus, I was crossed trained in several areas to expand my knowledge and usefulness to my team. I did my cross-trained with cashiering, enforcement and in permit sales. I was also tasked with several special projects over the course of the summer. I will dedicate an individual blog to each of these special projects.
I am also a non-traditional student. Sometimes I feel so old compared to our classmates. But they are so smart, I learn a lot from them, and they keep my eyes open to fresh new ideas. I wish I had finished college in my early 20's.
ReplyDeleteIt's very hard to go back to school in my 30's. I have had quite a few starts and restarts at ASU because life and work get in the way. Looks like you only have to finish this and next semesters which is great.
Phoenix and the valley desperately need more public transit, so please finish your degree and get planning!
Can you pick the projects that you want to be involved in? I know that I hate the system for appealing parking tickets!!! I have gotten tickets and seriously it wsn't my fault. Every time that I appeal it. It always get denied. If you want to appeal that decision then you have to pay the ticket and if they accept the claim they will reimburse you. I think that in the first place people who are appealing don't have the money to pay the ticket and they care enough to appeal or explain what happened. I just there needs to be a better system. Another thing that I don't think is right. Is after you pay ticket. If they grant you the reimbursement it will go through student accounts first and if you owe then it will go towards your balance. What if you really needed your money, then what? You are just SOL.
ReplyDeleteAnyway I will be checking to hear your reply.
Hi Mike! It looks like your past experience and general interest in transit makes your internship a great match for you. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteHello Mike,
ReplyDeleteI think you are an achiever to go back to school and also a great example for your daughter. I think that your experiences will allow you to see your degree more real and practical.
I also majored in Urban Planning. I think its an awesome and growing field.
ReplyDelete