Blog 1: Summer Mentorship Component

Literal (Know):

·     I did all ten hours of my mentorship in one day, Tuesday, August 21st, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. At the beginning of this day, my mentor Bhuvan Bajaj and I visited and toured the Los Angeles CalTrans building, where I met and spoke with several individuals, all trained in different Engineering specialties. After this, my mentor and I had lunch, then begun to walk to his office at the city hall. On the way back, we stopped to observe and talk about the equipment in the streets that I would later learn about and see utilized in action. Once back in Mr. Bajaj's office, he was in charge of administrating the ATSACC (Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control Center) for the rest of the day. This is where the rest of my day took place. I first observed the program and the software, however, as the day progressed, I began assisting as well. I helped adjust traffic system communication errors, assisted in troubleshooting field equipment technical issues, and helped facilitate help to incoming problem calls from the field; all daily CalTrans and ATSACC issues. I was very happy to be able to experience the behind-the-scenes workings of one of the world's most sophisticated automated traffic control systems. 

    

     Bhuvan Bajaj's Contact Information:

·  - City Hall East, 200 N. Main St Los Angeles, CA 90012

·  - 213.978.0549

·  - bhuvan.bajaj@lacity.org

    Literal (Need to know) - What questions were raised because of the 10 hours of experience?:   

-      How does one fall into a position like Mr. Bajaj's? (A traffic timing specialist and ATSACC controller)     

-      How would does someone tailor their education to what they'd specifically like to do?

-      What is the best field of study? The best field of engineering?

-      How steady is the engineering field?

   Interpretive - What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?:

I believe the most important thing I gained from my Summer Mentorship was my affirmation of continuing an education and career in Engineering. I learned that the engineering field is very stable and steady, and the field provides a great deal of opportunity for employment in both city jobs and private industries' jobs. 

  

 Applied - How did what you did help you choose a topic? Please explain.:

My summer mentorship allowed me to speak with many different kinds of engineers in several different fields of engineering, many of which I wasn’t even aware existed. All the individuals I spoke to ensured me that my choice to pursue a career in civil engineering was the best, due to the stability, the pay, work incentives, etc. The knowledge I gained from my experiences shadowing Mr. Bajaj, and from my many conversations with all different kinds of engineers, really helped me to understand the daily requirements and duties of someone with an education and experience I soon hope to obtain. Overall, the knowledge and experience I gained because of my ten summer mentorship hours helped me to solidify my decision in pursuing a career in civil engineering.