Kaitlyn Ho is from Los Angeles, California, USA. She joined the Club of Rome – Austrian Chapter as an intern via the IES Abroad Internship program from May to July 2024. She is an Economics major and Philosophy minor at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.
Kaitlyn shares her experiences from her time at Club of Rome – Austrian Chapter (CoR – AT):
“As an intern for CoR AT, I’ve gained so many new experiences and skills. Exposure to a broader and more internationally-based professional environment has yielded countless opportunities for the future and has offered me insight into what I want my future as a professional to look like. I’ve also further reinforced my interest in pressing topics especially centering around the environment and climate change and am now sure that this is something I want to pursue in the future.
One of the highlights of my time at COR AT was witnessing the culmination of initial research results from Earth4All Austria at an event hosted by COR AT on July 8, 2024. Not only was I able to attend talks by internationally renowned figures and scientists, but I was also able to see a large group of people with like-minded interests come together as well as listen and learn from the guest speakers. I especially enjoyed the process leading up to the event which consisted of meticulous collaboration and planning as well as having the opportunity to participate in behind-the-scenes research and reporting.
During my two-month long internship at COR AT, I engaged a broad range of skills including writing reports, website building, and aiding in event organizing. Considering I am very enthusiastic about entering this field, reading numerous reports and publications became especially useful in helping me develop a feel for the literature style used in the profession. Overall, my greatest takeaway from this has been that collaboration, team work, and communication are building blocks for success in any field.
In conclusion, working at the COR AT has been incredibly rewarding both personally and professionally. Not only have I realized that this is the line of work that I would like to pursue, but I have also gained insight into how this may be achieved as well as experienced living and working abroad. This will be especially useful to me in the future and has been an unforgettable and transformative introduction to the world of international work.”