A student education program at the California High-Speed Rail Authority
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 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 a growing conversation as we move toward connecting California through high-speed rail while contributing to the state’s economic success and a cleaner environment.
A Response to Changing Times
COVID-19 has kept students away from each other and changed the way they socialize, learn and prepare for their careers. In the coming months, I Will Ride will help keep students safe while focusing on educational and networking events that can be held virtually online in collaboration with colleges and universities.
Opportunities
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Networking with professionals
Network with a wide range of professionals working on the California high-speed rail program. -
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
Given the swift transition to virtual platforms – now you can connect with high-speed rail professionals all throughout California by joining a webinar.
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Campus and Classroom Presentations
High-speed rail professionals join a wide range of classrooms as guest lectures to discuss their academic and personal experiences as well as their role on the project. -
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:
- Name
- What group best describes you
- Student
- Student and Minor
- Teacher
- Faculty
- Work with students in another capacity
- 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 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.
Past Events
Senior Planners and Project Leaders with the High-Speed Rail Authority joined the USC student group Undergraduate Planning at Price to provide a high-speed rail project update and an overview of station planning in the Southern California Region.
The Policy & Popcorn series provides an informal setting for UC Davis students, researchers, faculty, and staff to learn more about the policy process and how to better engage. The sessions are hosted monthly by the Policy Institute for Energy, Environment, and the Economy in close partnership with the Institute of Transportation Studies, the Energy and Efficiency Institute, and other key policy leaders around UC Davis. This special edition of Policy and Popcorn featured leaders from the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) to discuss policy opportunities and challenges associated with the rail project. CHSRA CEO Brian Kelly, CFO Brian Annis, and Chief of Strategic Communications Melissa Figueroa provided an overview of where construction and development of high-speed rail is in 2020 and what the near future looks like for high-speed rail in California. The three speakers discussed how high-speed rail intersects with the environment, economy, construction, and financial challenges and opportunities.
The engineering organization SHPE (Society of Hispanic Engineers) at UC Merced welcomed High-Speed Rail to their organizations’ club meeting, held virtually over zoom. The theme of their meeting focused on career paths and cultures in workspaces. Communications staff did a 20-minute overview of the High-Speed Rail Project, Chief Deputy Director Pam Mizukami discussed the State hiring process and Chief of Engineering Scott Jarvis discussed working as a transportation engineer for the State.
Former Central Valley regional director Diana Gomez was one of the featured speakers in this conference for empowering young Latina students in SHPE chapters near and in Merced. The event addressed different aspects of female empowerment in academia, the workforce, and in our society through a series of workshops and guest speakers.
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 into the 21st Century.
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.
Request a Speaker for Your Class or Campus Organization
We offer a wide range of presentations for students. Check out the topics that we cover and request a speaker through the Speakers Bureau. Presentation requests are open for all levels of students; including high-school, trade school, community college, undergraduate and graduate level.