Name: Kaitlin Van Loon
Major: Advertising and Public Relations
Minors: Global Studies, Wildlife and Fisheries
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
Year at UNL: Senior
Favorite book and why: The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. I am obsessed with sci-fi/ fantasy books, and anything with a "Utopian society". It's crazy to think about what life would be like in a world so different, or to wonder what kinds of things are taking place right in front of our eyes, and we don't notice ~spooky~.
Favorite movie and why: National Treasure, hands down!!! Can't beat the adventure and the second movie is surprisingly really good too. I'll also admit that I'm a Nicholas Cage fan, his character Ben Gates is fearless and just plain cool.
Why Global Studies? I chose Global Studies as a minor because it was important to me to become more culturally and internationally aware. I've set a goal for myself to become more open-minded and to be active in the Peace Corps--so I thought this minor would be a great foundation for that. My favorite class was GLST 201, it was the first Global Studies class I took and solidified that this minor was something I wanted to continue. I really enjoyed that we took the time to talk about current issues, but also addressed events that occurred in the past. My advice for new Global Studies minors is to initially try not to get too caught up in your own opinions. I felt like I learned the most when I came to class with a clear and unbiased mindset and consciously absorbed the thoughts of my classmates, even if they didn't mirror my own.
Education Abroad Experience: I studied in Brno, Czech Republic as an exchange student during the Spring 2018 semester. I took some really interesting classes including Russian Energy Relations and Migration to V4 countries. But it's true what they say-- I felt like I learned the most outside the classroom. My time in Brno was the most challenging yet rewarding adventure and I am so grateful I got to experience life as an exchange student. I had the opportunity to travel to 10 different countries. My favorites were Bulgaria and The Netherlands. The Czech Republic is centrally located and that made it easy to travel elsewhere. Some different everyday experiences in Brno included: using public transportation to go anywhere, translating Czech labels in the grocery store, hang drying all of my clothes, having professors (and pals!) whose first language wasn't English and being able to buy a full meal--including drinks and dessert--for about $6 USD.
What are you post-graduation plans? I really don't know what I'd like to do after graduating this year. Ideally, I'd like to work for a wildlife nonprofit or a community-driven advertising agency, but I'm definitely keeping an open mind to whatever comes my way. I'm currently applying for the Peace Corps and hope to teach English in Cambodia. Following the Peace Corps, I might take a closer look at grad school for public policy.