An internship at Metro helps the Californian see himself as a CEO

For 18-year-old Viviana Mendoza, internships help low-income young people begin to see themselves in high-paying careers. So she begins to imagine that one day she will lead the agency where her father works.

When Mendoza was young, the Los Angeles College student aspired to be like her father, a bus attendant who has spent the past decade sweeping and cleaning Los Angeles Metro buses. Mendoza, one of his five daughters, is fascinated by public transportation.

Her father encouraged her passion, she says, but advised her to aim higher — to aspire to run a transit system, not just work for one.

She took it to heart. Today, she is interning in the office of Stephanie Wiggins, CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where she is learning how its many departments work together. He also studied public affairs and urban planning at Pasadena City College.

She hopes to one day run LA Metro. Her internship, which pays $18 an hour, is the first step.

California is eager to promote such on-the-job training opportunities. In recent years, it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships and internships. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently said the state is on track to create more than 600,000 new apprenticeship opportunities by 2029.

I recently spoke with Mendoza about how she hopes to achieve her career goals and how the internship is helping. Her comments have been edited for length and clarity.

How did you get involved in this internship program?

In the fall of 2022 I attended a Collab Youth a masterclass that is a Zoom class where professionals share their careers. It was there that I met the CEO of Metal Toad, Mr. (Joaquin) Lippincott. I asked him if he ever had to fire anyone and he asked me why I was asking.

I wanted to know more about what it’s like as a person in charge of a company or agency. Maybe one day I will have to make such a decision.

I then followed up by explaining that I wanted to become the CEO of LA Metro. To my surprise, he offered to introduce me to her! A little less than a year later… she offered me an internship in her office. I started working there the summer before my freshman year of high school.

What has the internship done for you so far? What things have you learned?

The internship allowed me to work alongside the CEO’s team, which exposed me to a range of different aspects that come into play when running a transport agency. I was able to observe the CEO at her board meetings, create an operating procedure that employees could use to create various documents, and do research on railway station safety. I was exposed to many jobs and careers offered at Metro, which ranged from transportation planners to customer service operators.

It was always my goal to work at Metro. Now that I’m here, I hope to continue to branch out, meet people within the company and find my place within it.

I am gaining more experience in the workforce and have taken on more responsibilities. I have also helped my family at home. I give them most of my wages.

Is the program what you originally imagined? What surprised you about it?

I remember being very excited to work so closely with someone I admired so much. I was surprised to learn how much happens every day; the office is very busy. The CEO is always present at something. I was also happily surprised to see that the office was made up mostly of women. Everyone is extremely friendly, kind and sympathetic. They are always willing to share their knowledge with me.

What are some of the things you are most proud of having accomplished with this training?

I am most proud of the relationships I have built with my colleagues. It matters when the people around you genuinely want you to succeed.

I have also been very fortunate to be a part of the research being done at Metro. I was able to learn about the environmental changes taking place in WestLake Station / MacArthur Park to help passengers feel safer… It is the second worst station in terms of safety, second only to Skid Row. there is a a lot of homelessness and drug use.

(LA Metro) is trying to figure out how to make it better. They tried to introduce changes. They have new lighting with brighter bulbs, bathrooms that sense when there are too many people inside and that clean themselves; bear-proof trash cans; more security shifts. They have more people cleaning and have added music to prevent idleness and help passengers feel safer. They do a lot of research and take pictures every week. They also put up guard towers to create a sense of surveillance. On the platform they have cabins where people can get mental health help and they have top level clinics.

I did my research project on it and did an external study that shows how what is implemented works. I hoped to encourage other students to use public transport.

What was difficult for you? What are the challenges you have overcome?

I would say a challenge would be balancing school and work… I work about 28-30 hours a week. For school, I am a regular student. I prioritize school, but metro is also extremely important to me, as that’s where I hope to build a career.

I feel like transportation has always been a part of my life. My grandma would take the bus to go downtown LA. It’s a great way for people to connect. You meet different people on the bus and what it does for underserved communities is often overlooked.

Financial support for this story was provided by the Smidt Foundation and the James Irvine Foundation.