Riya was a Construction Project Management co-op at Amtrak in 2019 and 2020. She completed her co-op while studying at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Her project team worked on several construction projects along the Northeast Corridor, including designing new ticketing areas, and platform improvement projects in New York's Penn Station.
Employee Stories: Riya Malik
Riya was a Construction Project Management co-op at Amtrak in 2019 and 2020. She completed her co-op while studying at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Her project team worked on several construction projects along the Northeast Corridor, including designing new ticketing areas, and platform improvement projects in New York's Penn Station.
Employee Stories: Riya Malik
Riya was a Construction Project Management co-op at Amtrak in 2019 and 2020. She completed her co-op while studying at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Her project team worked on several construction projects along the Northeast Corridor, including designing new ticketing areas, and platform improvement projects in New York's Penn Station.
As a graduate student in Construction Management in Philadelphia, Riya Malik was interested in seeking a co-op to expand her skills and give her practical knowledge in her field. Amtrak has a notable presence in the city, and Malik had always remembered seeing the trains and hearing about the railroad ever since she was a child.
For Malik, a co-op fit her desires more than an internship, as she felt that internships were only for a semester, while a co-op is a longer program that would allow her to continue for multiple semesters.
"I always wanted to do a co-op so I could gain more experience at one company, and learn more about the projects and how everyone works together. It is good for my career because I get to spend a lot of time with one company, and I can be fully dedicated there."
Malik was based in Philadelphia, but often traveled to the Amtrak offices in New York City. Several of the projects her team was working on were in the New York area, including a new ticketing area and a platform improvement project. She enjoyed the aspect of getting to travel, as well as the on-site visits. Getting the chance to don Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and see some of the projects that she assisted on coming to fruition was an exciting part of the job.
One such site visit was to see the Moynihan Station project, where a portion of the post office across from Penn Station is being converted into an expansive train hall to better accommodate customers. Malik credits her co-op experience for giving her a glimpse into how projects are really conducted from start to finish in the real world, and she learned a lot about how to scheduling and estimating projects. Amtrak makes use of Microsoft Projects to create schedules for construction projects, and Malik felt that getting a chance to learn the program was an interesting challenge.
After graduating in August 2020, Riya hopes to work in the construction project management field, and would love to work at Amtrak again sometime in the future.
"Amtrak was really welcoming, and I really enjoyed the community feeling. My team has been super helpful. There were about 20 people, including the director, and they were all very encouraging. My time here has been a really fun learning experience, and a really rewarding opportunity."
For any student currently thinking about an internship or co-op at Amtrak, Malik advises to embrace the experiences and opportunities that Amtrak has to offer, and to not be afraid to ask questions.
"Embrace the experience, the new opportunities, and even the challenges. My supervisor is super talented and knowledgeable, so I've gotten a chance to learn many things from him. Sometimes it can be hard, but if you just ask your supervisor he or she will make sure that you are all right because everyone wants you to have the best experience at Amtrak."
