Context and Experience
I completed a Project Management Internship at INIT Innovations in Transportation, Inc., beginning in May 2025 and continuing through the present. INIT develops and supports intelligent transportation systems used by transit agencies across the United States and internationally. In this role, I supported real-world transit projects by coordinating training schedules, maintaining documentation, tracking tasks, and communicating updates across teams located on the East Coast, West Coast, and in Germany. This experience mattered because it placed me in a professional, high-responsibility environment where my work directly supported operational systems used by public transit agencies.
Reflection and Learning
My role at INIT required me to act as a coordination and support point between internal teams, external vendors, and stakeholders. I took responsibility for maintaining Smartsheet workflows, tracking action items, assisting with training coordination, and ensuring documentation was accurate and up to date. One of the main challenges I faced was managing multiple tasks across different projects while working with teams in different time zones. I addressed this challenge by developing strong organizational habits, prioritizing tasks, and communicating proactively to prevent delays or misunderstandings.
Through this internship, I learned the importance of consistency, accountability, and clear communication in professional settings. I gained a deeper appreciation for how technical systems rely on strong project coordination and documentation to function effectively. This experience also helped me better understand my own strengths, particularly my ability to manage responsibility independently while still contributing meaningfully to a larger team.
Connection to Professional Goals
This internship directly supports my broader professional development and long-term goals in cybersecurity and technology-focused roles. Working at INIT showed me how large-scale systems operate in real-world environments and reinforced the importance of reliability, security, and coordination in infrastructure-driven industries. The skills I developed, including technical understanding, disciplined work habits, teamwork, and leadership, are ones I will continue to apply in future internships, research opportunities, and professional roles. My experience at INIT represents a key step in my transition from academic learning to applied, real-world impact.