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Anthony Lee
Q&A With Anthony
Where did you work?
TransLink (Infrastructure Program Management Department)
What was your role (what type of work did you do)? What were some of your responsibilities?
I worked for TransLink within the Infrastructure Program Management Department. My official title at TransLink was “Student Transportation Planner – GIS” but I can basically be seen as a GIS Technician. My role at TransLink has had me doing all kinds of work. I have had to create data inventories, create map styles & designs, perform updates on existing maps, create web maps and the list goes on. I am basically responsible for assisting my supervisor in providing GIS services for workers all over TransLink. Most of my work has required me to use ArcGIS, Microsoft Excel, and Google Earth.
How did the skills/knowledge developed in the classroom apply to your job? What did you learn?
My position mainly made use of the skills and knowledge that I learned in two of my Geography classes: GEOG 255 (Geographic Information Science I) & GEOG 383 (Regional Development & Planning). In GEOG 255, I learned basic concepts and theories of GIS and how to use GIS-related software (mainly ArcGIS). During my time at TransLink, I have made heavy use of ArcGIS. I was also able to hone my ability with ArcGIS during a previous co-op placement.
GEOG 383 taught me about the concepts of regional governance and the regional authorities (of which, TransLink is an example of). I also learned about the organizational structure of TransLink, what its responsibilities are, and how decisions are made. It really saved my supervisor from doing a lot of explaining back when I first started.
What was your most memorable Co-op experience?
With the opening of the Evergreen Extension, TransLink hosted an employee-only viewing of the extension about a week ahead of the actual opening. Employees were even allowed to bring a limited number of guests or family members. It was really cool to know that I was one of the first among the general public to be on the Evergreen Extension. I even got a commemorative coin just for attending the event!
Another memorable experience was when I got to tour the Burnaby Transit Centre (one of the facilities where our buses are stored and maintained). It was really interesting to be able to see the insides of the buses and learn about all the work that’s necessary to keep them running every day of the week.