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UDOT hosts transportation summit to get girls interested in the industry

Posted at 5:38 PM, May 29, 2015
and last updated 2015-05-29 19:38:37-04

SALT LAKE CITY -- A group of young girls are giving a career in transportation a second glance, as about 53 middle school students from across Salt Lake County took part in a transportation summit for girls sponsored by the Utah Department of Transportation.

Professionals were volunteering their expertise to the girls, and they were showing the students how to use Shop-Vacs to locate underground utilities. They also learned about repairing tires and fixing bikes, and they studied how roads and bridges are built.

Angie Gamarra attends the Salt Lake Center for Science Education and was one of the students who participated, and the ninth-grader said the cooperation the industry fosters is a good thing.

“I like construction, I like the foundation it sets and I like how, simply, it takes lots of people and lots of thoughts and minds to make this, to make the project successful,” Gamarra said. “I feel that teamwork is very essential and communication is very essential, and it just puts forth the many skills that we have.”

This is the third year the summit has been offered, and organizers are hoping to spark the interest of more girls each year.