I Will Ride is an outreach program for students wanting to be part of the development of high-speed rail in California. For students eager to stay engaged with the project and looking for professional development opportunities on our project – I Will Ride is the program for you!

Conceptual rendering of high-speed rail traveling past agricultural fields.
12 Former I Will Ride students standing together holding signs and wearing t-shirts that read “I Will Ride” after a program event.
Conceptual rendering of a canopy platform at a high-speed rail station with passnegers preparing to board a train.
Construction crews work on the San Joaquin River Viaduct structure located in the City of Fresno.
I Will Ride members and professionals on a panel chat with students during a professional development event.
High-speed rail professionals chat with students during a professional development event in Fresno, CA.
Students touring a high-speed rail construction site in Fresno, CA look up to analyze the structure.
Over two dozen students and panelists stand alongside one another for a picture after a professional development event in Fresno, CA.
Large poster that reads “I Will Ride”, signed by many people at the 2015 official groundbreaking.

The I Will Ride Mission

I Will Ride is designed to inform, educate, inspire, and collaborate on the building of California’s high-speed rail. Student members in I Will Ride will have access to construction tours, webinars and networking sessions with staff at the Authority. I Will Ride is an exciting opportunity for students and educational institutions to engage in conversation as we move toward connecting California through high-speed rail while contributing to the state’s economic success and a cleaner environment. I Will Ride - A High-Speed Rail Student Program on YouTube

Student Leadership in Transportation

This is your opportunity to become a leader in the conversation around high-speed rail. I Will Ride students can provide presentations at their local campuses and spread the message of high-speed rail, or simply read through a monthly email with opportunities – there is no expectation or cost to be an I Will Ride student. You will have many opportunities to learn about the project and start your leadership journey in the transportation sector.

Opportunities

Networking with professionals

Networking with professionals

Network with a wide range of professionals working on the California high-speed rail program.

Construction Tours

Construction Tours

Participate in once-in-a-lifetime high-speed rail construction tours in the Central Valley and at partner transit agency locations throughout the state.

Webinars

Webinars

Given the swift transition to virtual platforms – now you can connect with high-speed rail professionals all throughout California by joining a webinar.

Campus and Classroom Presentations

Campus and Classroom Presentations

High-speed rail professionals join a wide range of classrooms as guest lecturers to discuss their academic and personal experiences as well as their role on the project.

Jobs and Internships

Jobs and Internships

Staff at the Authority have welcomed interns, fellows and student assistants throughout the years. Using the experiences they gained at the Authority, students have gone on to work for the Authority and many other exciting spaces.

How to Join

Being a member of I Will Ride will give you access to construction tours, networking opportunities with Authority staff, webinars and regular project updates. This is an educational initiative and requires no cost to participate. To sign up for I Will Ride, please email iwillride@hsr.ca.gov with the following information:

  1. Name
  2. Email
  3. What group best describes you
    1. Student
    2. Student and Minor
    3. Teacher
    4. Faculty
    5. Work with students in another capacity
  4. State, “I want to receive notifications for the I Will Ride program at the High-Speed Rail Authority.”

Please note, if you are a minor, please complete a signed consent form to be part of the program. Parents/guardians can provide their name and email to receive all notifications and emails that their child receives. The Authority respects your privacy and will not share the registration list with others except as required by law. Any information you provide is voluntary. This form is subject to disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act. You have the ability to opt-out upon request by emailing iwillride@hsr.ca.gov. We will delete all information gathered on a member upon request.

I Will Ride Voices

What have you learned from the I Will Ride program? I have learned from being in the I will Ride program that young generations like mine will play a major role in how we reimagine transportation systems to better connect our rural communities with our urban centers throughout California.
Andrew Hernon, I Will Ride 2021 Student of the Year

How do you think I Will Ride will benefit students today? I come from an engineering background, civil engineering specifically, but I think any student from any background whether it be business, whether it be real estate, engineering, whatever the case is, construction, there’s a benefit to all of them because there’s a place for all those disciplines within this project, and not just on Construction Page 1 but across the state you know, even in the early stages of development.
Bianca Perez, I Will Ride Founder

What are the perks of joining I Will Ride? One of the big perks of joining the I Will Ride chapters is you have access to the people who are working on the project. We got to meet people on the engineering and policy side of the project who could teach us about what they were doing and potential mentorship and career opportunities.
Kielan Rathjen, Former Berkeley I Will Ride Chapter President

What role do students have in the high-speed rail project? I think specifically students are interested in the rail because that’s the potential employer down the line and especially students of the engineering disciplines can be engaged and ask meaningful questions.
Michael Mayfield, Central Valley I Will Ride Chapter Leader

Founders & History of I Will Ride

Born in the heart of California’s Central Valley, I Will Ride was founded by college students who support options in mobility and transportation, and the development of California’s high-speed rail system. The founders believed that this significant investment in the state’s transportation infrastructure, mass transit and transit-oriented development would offer regional connectivity, economic opportunity and an environmentally friendly alternative for transportation in the 21st Century.   Former Governor Jerry Brown speaking at podium with people standing behind him

Since the inception of I Will Ride, the Authority has welcomed hundreds of college and university students on construction tours in the Central Valley as part of the initiative’s I Will Ride Day, and has engaged in numerous outreach events, classroom presentations and networking opportunities connecting students to high-speed rail professionals.

Past Events

I Will Ride Day 2019

Students in Fresno joined staff at the Authority and prime People wearing hard hats and safety vests standing and listening to a presentercontractors working on high-speed rail to tour high-speed rail construction sites. Watch the Recap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHJHa_COwWk&list=PLs98D7m5XXEES0htFh7LICxa3NzRnxntG&index=3

I Will Ride Student Symposium and Construction Tour 2017

Four people seated with one speaking into a microphoneI WIll Ride Founders organized a full day of networking, construction tours and a professional panel to learn more about the California high-speed rail project. Watch the Recap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V0RpdYW8P8

I Will Ride Fresno Forum 2016

A speaker at a podium giving a presentation with 4 people seated on the sideI Will Ride Founders organized the first major event in Fresno, bringing together Authority Regional Director, members of the Board of Directors and the Mayor of Fresno to discuss the high-speed rail project. Watch the Recap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6UcSCwRwkc

The California High-Speed Rail Authority makes every effort to ensure the website and its contents meet mandated ADA requirements as per the California State mandated Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA standard. If you are looking for a particular document not located on the California High-Speed Rail Authority website, you may make a request for the document under the Public Records Act through the Public Records Act page. If you have any questions about the website or its contents, please contact the Authority at info@hsr.ca.gov.