Being a Communications intern at the N.C. Department of Transportation has allowed me to experience so many new things. I have worked on huge projects such as campaign for the 100 Deadliest Days (teen driving safety), write press releases regarding different construction projects occurring within the department, but the thing that has been the most fun, by far, is riding a train for the first time. The other two interns and I recently experienced taking NC By Train from Raleigh to Burlington, and also got to film an episode of Transportation Trivia for the department’s social media featuring train trivia.
The train departed at 6:30 a.m., which meant that we had to be up bright and early to get some video footage before getting on board. The early train that we took didn’t have a lot of people on it, but there were some commuters who use the train to go to work once a week.
This was interesting to me because I always thought that train would be too expensive to use as a commuting option. With this experience, I learned that it’s not only affordable, but also more economical than driving to work every day. In addition, when you’re riding the train you can rest on your commute and get ahead on any projects you may be focusing on that day.
When I was taking the train, I thought about how it could benefit me as a college student. Personally, I didn’t get to take my car to college my freshman year and I know that a lot of other students don’t get to as well, whether it’s because of school rules or because a parent decides that its cheaper to wait to bring your car. Thinking about how affordable the train can be for commuters, the train may be a good option for students who don’t have their car, whether they are going to school six hours from home or just an hour and a half from home. It would also be good for students who love sports and want to see their school play, but don’t want to drive.
Overall, getting to experience the train was a lot of fun and I would love to use it again!
Samantha Cline
Summer 2021 Communications intern
Western Carolina University