The conclusion of the 2025 to 2026 Professional Speaker Series at Bi-County Collaborative, themed One Step at a Time, featured powerful and memorable stories of personal independence, professional leadership, and the transformative impact of public transportation. Guest speakers Pari Kim and Phillip Eng each offered unique perspectives while sharing a common message of perseverance, growth, and optimism.
Pari Kim: Finding Freedom and Finding Herself
Pari Kim shared her journey from a small town in Maine, where limited access to public transportation and was dependent on others, to discovering independence in Boston as a student at Lesley University. For Kim, who was diagnosed with autism at age three, the MBTA became far more than a transit system. It became a pathway to freedom.
She described her early experiences navigating the system, including learning the difference between inbound and outbound trains, as meaningful steps toward independence. What began as uncertainty quickly became confidence, opening the door to a more self-directed life.
Pari’s message centered on authenticity and advocacy. Following her appearance on the Netflix series Love on the Spectrum, she has used her growing platform to promote autism acceptance and neurodiversity. She spoke about being unapologetically herself and encouraged students to recognize and celebrate their own strengths.
Her passion for public transit led her to an internship with the MBTA’s Customer Experience Department, where she contributes to social media messaging and special events. She also spoke candidly about overcoming adversity, including experiences with cyberbullying, and emphasized the importance of protecting one’s well-being while continuing to move forward.
Her message to students was clear and empowering: dreams and passions are achievable through hard work, self-belief, and persistence, regardless of outside voices.
Phillip Eng: Engineering Progress for a Community
Phillip Eng, General Manager of the MBTA and Interim Secretary of MassDOT, provided a complementary perspective rooted in leadership and public service. His career reflects a commitment to improving large-scale systems that impact millions of people every day.
Before leading the MBTA, Eng served as President of the Long Island Rail Road and held key leadership roles within the New York State Department of Transportation. Since his appointment in 2023, he has played a critical role in restoring trust in the MBTA system by addressing long-standing challenges, including removing many slow zones and increasing transparency with the public.
Eng emphasized the importance of steady, intentional progress. He spoke about tackling complex issues, such as a multibillion-dollar maintenance backlog, by focusing on consistent, manageable steps. He compared transportation systems to the human body, explaining that when problems are ignored, they tend to worsen. Addressing challenges early and planning ahead are essential to long-term success.
His leadership philosophy reinforced the idea that meaningful change does not happen all at once. It happens through persistence, accountability, and a willingness to take the next step forward.
Impact on Bi-County Students
The theme One Step at a Time was brought to life through both speakers’ experiences. Pari Kim’s journey from a hesitant rider learning the basics of the MBTA to a confident advocate and professional mirrors the growth our students experience across programs, including STAP, Learning Center, SMS, SHS, LRTC, and TESP. Similarly, Phillip Eng’s approach to system-wide improvement models how even the most complex challenges can be addressed through patience and consistent effort.
Together, their stories reinforced that independence, success, and personal growth are built gradually through determination, resilience, and belief in oneself. As the series came to a close, both speakers left students with a phrase that perfectly captured the spirit of the day: Have a T-riffic day! It was more than a lighthearted sendoff. It was a reminder that joy, confidence, and progress can all ride together, one step at a time.
