MARTA hosts tour for future engineers from Africa

ATLANTA – The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) recently hosted a tour for a group of African college students who are aspiring engineers. The students, currently attending Georgia State University, are participants in the prestigious Mandela Washington Fellows Program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department.

The program was originally proposed by Ambassador Andrew Young, who also took the time to meet with the students. The visiting students hail from Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and South Africa, and they are all keen on pursuing careers in transit. Among the group are two future mechanical engineers, an aspiring urban planner, and a future civil engineer.

Eddie Hicks, Zone Superintendent in Rail Operations at MARTA, led the tour, which included visits to MARTA transit landmarks such as Five Points Station, Peachtree Center, and the Streetcar Garage. Lawrence Graham, the Light Rail General Superintendent at MARTA, guided the segment of the tour at the Streetcar Garage.

This enriching experience provided the students with valuable insights into the operations and infrastructure of transit systems, further fueling their ambitions in the engineering and urban planning fields.

MARTA is honored to play a role in inspiring the next generation of transit professionals, officials stated in a news release on today(July 30).