Intern Success Story: Jocelyn Higashide
By Michael J. Shull, Process Improvement intern
May 25, 2017
Jocelyn Higashide began her career at the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) as an intern in summer 2013. Focusing on change management, she worked within the Office of Process Improvement (OPI). Today, Jocelyn is an engineer in training (EIT) at CDOT in southwest Denver, and is working on a $230 million C-470 Express Lanes project.
Providing Ease for Change
Higashide has a passion for supporting change management methodologies and practices at CDOT. She stated that "one of the most valuable takeaways from the internship was figuring out how to successfully connect people with change management resources, providing them with an ease for the process of change." As business environments evolve, change is inevitable.
Photo of Jocelyn Higashide
Higashide reminds us that changing a process is hard and involves many people. As a change agent, "you have to bring all of those people and their ideas to the table in order to support positive change." Additionally, Higashide used the Prosci Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement (ADKAR) model to help drive people toward a concise direction. According to Malloy, Higashide excelled at supporting change efforts during her internship at CDOT and is a valuable asset today as an EIT.
Bringing Fresh & Innovative Ideas
Interns bring new and fresh ideas to CDOT, which helps CDOT employees view projects from a different light. Michelle Malloy worked closest with Higashide during her tenure as an intern. Malloy boasted that "Jocelyn's behavior and performance is a perfect example of how an internship and CDOT can have a successful symbiotic relationship. Jocelyn was the epitome of perfection as an intern, and I know now as a permanent employee at CDOT, she will go far…" to support change management—a methodology she learned as an intern—throughout her career with CDOT.
Opened Doors of Opportunity
Reflecting on her journey through CDOT, Higashide highlights her current duties, what it was like to work as an intern, and how to maximize value—both for CDOT and the intern. The internship program at CDOT opened doors of opportunity for Higashide and created an environment for leadership development within the CDOT community.
OPI Director Gary Vansuch explains that "Jocelyn helped CDOT employees from around the state understand the value for change management, and she was always patient and professional when forging through some of the most difficult situations. Collegiate interns bring a wealth of renewed knowledge to CDOT from their academic studies, and OPI progressively advanced our services thanks to Jocelyn."