Resnick Wins Women’s Transportation Award
Aimee Resnick spent the summer working for the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Northwestern University’s Aimee Resnick has received the 2024 Future Industry Spotlight Award from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association for her leadership as an intern with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
A senior studying social policy at the School of Education and Social Policy, Resnick worked in the Office of Process Improvement. There, she led the statewide Lean Everyday Ideas (LEI) program, which promotes innovations by transportation employees. She also organized change management courses, traveled statewide to advocate for improvements, and contributed to programs focused on suicide prevention and gender equity.
Originally from Centennial, Colorado, Resnick plans to work for the State of Colorado after graduation in June of 2025 and hopes to one day run for elected office. "Working for Colorado state government confirmed my desire to create compassionate change through social policy,” said Resnick, who at age 18, co-founded the Colorado Alliance for Size Equity, an advocacy group that raises awareness about body size discrimination.
The School of Education and Social Policy’s practicum experience has jump-started the careers of countless students and alumni. It includes a quarter long off-campus internship for juniors coupled with an academic seminar available in remote or hybrid formats.
The experiential learning experience is offered year-round and in four countries (the US, Italy, Ireland, and Australia) so students can also fulfill their global learning requirement. Aspiring teachers gain classroom experience through their practicum or student teaching in their senior year.
Most students are able to find their own placements. Here’s how Resnick found hers:
First Steps: Resnick cold-emailed about 60 organizations in immigration law, disability policy, and agricultural policy to inquire about internships, using a spreadsheet to track applications and interviews. She also applied for several positions within Colorado state government and ultimately received multiple offers.
Why She Chose CDOT: The location was appealing, but she was also attracted by strong compensation and the chance to earn a ProSci Change Management Certificate. Additionally, she appreciated the “fun team culture” and the chance to stay in the role for two quarters instead of one.
What She Did, Part 1: As the process improvement intern with the Lean Everyday Ideas program, she helped employees share best practices. She managed the program’s database, attended Roadeos—competitions testing maintenance employees' skills on construction equipment—and promoted participation through safety meetings. Additionally, she organized the Innovations Challenge, a statewide contest honoring the most innovative employees.
What She Did, Part 2: She organized a fundraiser for Helping Hands, a support group for colleagues affected by traffic injuries or fatalities. Recently, she also helped coordinate a back-to-school program that provided gift cards to CDOT families for school supplies and clothing. Through these events, she fostered connections across departments, building a sense of community.
What She Did, Part 3: Resnick participated in several shadowing missions. In one instance, a helicopter safely removed explosives from nearby mountains, which were then loaded onto a truck. She and a colleague drove the truck back between 4 and 8 a.m., catching a stunning sunrise. She also joined the opening day of snow plowing on Mt. Bluesky, which proved to be more challenging than she had anticipated.
Things She’d Like to Change: Resnick raised concerns about the lack of women’s bathrooms at construction sites and advocated for suicide prevention awareness. She met with regional safety officers to promote a mental health program for men, but many feared it would be “too sad” for the workplace. “There’s a large stigma around suicide prevention that is discouraging,” she noted. Nevertheless, she convinced several safety officers to procure and distribute materials for their staff.
How She Built Connections: Resnick’s mentor, Gary Vansuch, arranged coffee chats with professionals from various CDOT departments, helping her realize her passion for public health and community outreach.
How She Kept Building Connections: She engaged statewide leaders by hosting events for National Work Zone Awareness Week and connected with fellow interns by creating a LinkedIn group for current and past CDOT interns. Resnick also organized a visit to the Floyd Hill construction site to learn about engineering planning and rock blasting. “These friendships across CDOT enriched my experience and provided a strong sense of community,” she said.
Ten-Year Plan: Resnick aspires to be a legislator in the Colorado State House of Representatives, advocating for policies to enhance multimodal transit across the state, drawing on her experiences at CDOT.
Final Assessment: “This internship allowed me to take on several meaningful projects and solidified my passion for transportation policy. In my future career, I hope to support strong infrastructure across Colorado using the lessons I learned at CDOT.”