It goes unsaid that 2020 was a year full of growth, adaptivity, and resilience as we learned how to cope with these unprecedented surprises. Though there have been many adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, I truly believe there is a silver lining in everything; the opportunity to intern with APCM is mine. I am so grateful for this experience, and am looking forward to spending the remainder of the winter and spring learning all that I can from this incredible team.
While I am here in Anchorage, I am able to continue remotely attending my classes at Western Washington University (WWU) where I am pursuing a BA in Financial Economics with minors in Accounting and International Business. The pairing of my concentration and minors grant a unique perspective into financial operations and allow a deeper understanding of market indicators bearing international contexts in mind. I hope to hone these skills even more throughout my time at APCM.
At WWU, I’m heavily involved with extra curriculars which has given me the opportunity to further connect with members of my educational community. Most notably, I am the proud President of the Equestrian Team and I cannot wait to get back to travelling the west coast with my team. I am also an international member of the Finance and Investment Club Icesi at Universidad Icesi based out of Cali, Colombia.
I studied abroad in Colombia during the fall of 2019 where I took mostly business related courses. Connecting with students who are just as passionate about business, specifically finance, was by far the highlight of the semester. One aspect that undoubtedly contributed to the success of the exchange was my command of the Spanish language gained through a Spanish Immersion program. Using my pre-existing skills in the language gave me the ability to learn and cherish the Caleñan dialect and distinct culture that simply cannot be taught in the classroom. I fully intended to study abroad again prior to the completion of my undergraduate degree, but since has been put on hold until the pandemic subsides.
When I’m not attending virtual lectures, you’ll find me riding horses, hiking, or mountain biking with my dogs, mostly in the fall since that’s my favorite time of the year to enjoy Alaska.
Cheers to a remarkable 2021!
Katelynn Toth
1/25/2021
