Job Shadowing Takes Off at PHL
Our Transportation YOU (TrYOU) committee partnered with the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to host a job shadowing day for five local high school students on Thursday, December 18th. One of the students, who was homeschooled, participated in the TrYOU program, and the other four students, from Interboro High School in Delaware County, all shared a keen interest in engineering and aviation. They shadowed staff from the Department of Aviation (DOA) Capital Development Group and experienced firsthand what it’s like working at an airport.
Lynne Perry, construction manager, and Rui Dasilva, construction inspector, took the students on a tour of the A-West Terminal electrical substation, ADA-compliant building upgrades, and the A/B ramp tower. Lisa Devine-Darney, construction manager, and Dave Murphy, construction inspector, led students around the Berwind Hanger extension project, the new Chase Lounge, and the new Oyster House restaurant. Keesha Lane, DOA Director of Community Relations & Outreach, and Amy Liu, DOA city planner and WTS TrYOU member, also co-organized this day of learning.
During the lunch Q&A session, students reflected on how an airport is its own small universe and how many types of jobs are needed to keep an airport running. Their goal was to see how engineering and aviation come to life and PHL was the perfect place to explore their curiosities. The students’ questions also helped staff reflect on how careers can take many turns and we can still end up just where we want to be. DOA Chief Development Officer, Api Appulingam, stopped by to speak to the students and encouraged them to explore real-world applications of their interests in engineering and aviation.