Katie Naughton
CAS ’25
Cognitive Science
SA: Penn Semester in Lyon
GRIP: Business in Sydney
Contact
Ask me about…
- Taking all five of my classes in French
- Living with a French-speaking host family
- Budget-traveling around Europe
- Working in business as a student in the College of Arts & Sciences
- Traveling in greater Australia, outside of Sydney
- Budgeting for food, travel, etc
- Balancing work and exploration
- Living in a suite with other Penn GRIP participants
My Experience Abroad:
As a French & Francophone Studies minor, I have always dreamed of becoming as close to fluent as possible in French as well as laying eyes on all of the historical monuments and works of art I’ve learned so much about. As a Cognitive Science major, I am particularly fascinated by language in the brain – acquisition, development, second language learning, etc. Going abroad to France and immersing myself in French language and culture felt like the perfect way to tie all my interdisciplinary interests together. I ultimately chose the Penn Semester in Lyon program because I wanted to live with a host family to be truly immersed. I couldn’t have been luckier. Though it was a challenging adjustment at first, I ultimately made lasting bonds with my host family. We went skiing together multiple times, watched opera and dance performances, and shared many meals. I’m going back to visit them this summer! Though I also had the opportunity to travel around much of France as well as visiting many other countries in Europe, Lyon will always hold a special place in my heart!
My GRIP internship as a research assistant for the University of Sydney Business school helped me explore my professional goals. Though I’m a Cognitive Science major in the College, I was interested in exploring the world of business to see if I might like to pursue it as a career. From the very beginning of my placement, I learned a tremendous amount about business in general and finance more specifically. One of my projects even dealt with the FinTech industry which actually related to my Cognitive Science coursework regarding how to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to solve problems. Overall, this internship helped me confirm that in the future I would love to work at the intersection of Neuroscience/AI and Business.
Other Highlights:
- Skiing in the French, Swiss, and Austrian alps
- Strolling through tulip fields in Amsterdam
- Hiking the Cliffs of Moher
- Solo tripping to Lisbon
- Seeing Versailles for the first time
- Kayaking in Ardèche on a program trip
- Visiting friends in Madrid & Barcelona
- Seeing La Traviata at the Sydney Opera House
- Snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef and swimming in rainforest waterfalls and ancient crater lakes in Cairns
- Exploring Melbourne for a long weekend with other GRIP participants
- Surfing at Manly Beach
- Hiking in Blue Mountains National Park
