Hi! My name is Kaylynn Kotik and I am a rising senior at Loyola University Chicago. I am a nontraditional transfer student, majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Mathematics. I have an interest in fermentation sciences and food chemistry. I’m an avid Disney fan, so much so that I have worked at Walt Disney World twice. I really enjoy getting in touch with my inner child, as well as spreading the joys of math and science in any way I can. These are the passions that first brought me to my internship at Play-Well TEKnologies. My experience as both a student and professional have made me a perfect fit for this position. Honestly, this internship has shown to also be a perfect fit for my strengths and interests. Going into this Experiential Learning course I wasn’t sure what to expect; I hoped to learn some new things, but without having to start from scratch. My personal goals were to be able to articulate and relate my previous experiences to my current position and studies. I also wanted to find new ways to grow within my position at Play-Well TEKnologies, since I have been there for over a year. In addition, I wanted to use this opportunity to continue exploring myself as a leader, professional, and person. I have learned a lot from this class, and I think that my journey shows I have achieved these goals. My hope is to take the things I have learned from this Experiential Learning course and use it as a stepping stone to continue to grow and add to my knowledge.

These are some of the ciders I have brewed at home to explore my love of fermentaion sciences.

Still working on my undergrad after 7 years can be tough at times. This little cartoon reminds me that the only timeline that matters is my own.

This is a quote that my mom and I send to each other sometimes. Life gets tough. It is always a good reminder to know that no matter how scary the unknown can be, our strength to get through it will always be greater.

This is me with one of my favorite characters to visit at Disney World, Gaston. Disney World is where I first started to think about the bigger picture and who I wanted to be when I grew up.

This is one of the many creative things that my students build out of Lego. This particular project is a Lego chess board. The students that built this were also in Chess club, and they combined their two interests so they could enjoy both at the same time.