Heather Diaz-Tran

Why did you choose Wagner for graduate school?

I chose Wagner because of its location. I wanted to learn, live, and breathe transportation both in my professional and personal day-to-day experiences.  

How did being in New York impact your professional journey?

Everyone in NYC has an opinion that wants to be heard. Therefore going to school and working in such a global city has given me a broad perspective of opinions from classmates and colleagues to constituents served. Learning to listen to and respect opinions that are different than my own has served me well in my professional life. 

How did you find your first post-Wagner job?

I attended the summer internship orientation at NYC Department of Transportation and one of the speakers was a Wagner Alumnus. I reached out for an informational interview, and he passed along my resume to one of his former colleagues. If it weren't for the Wagner connection, I definitely would not have reached out, and would not have landed that first job which led me to where my career has taken me today.