When trying to decide what to do in the summer after second year I knew I wanted a new experience. I have spent past summers in various hospitality roles and seem to have a penchant for ending up with temporary jobs in the agricultural sector despite not really seeking them out. That I have packed watercress and picked sunflowers is less bizarre than it would otherwise be given my home county is Dorset. As valuable as these experiences have been, I have always been conscious that their relevance to my future adult working life is limited. To be a part of the second LEAP cohort has been an incredible privilege and it is because of LEAP that I was able to try something different this summer.
Back in March, as the deadline was approaching to submit adventure proposals for LEAP funding, I was on the fence about whether or not to do one. I spent weeks considering what it was I might like to do and where I might like to go. I have crumpled many mindmaps titled various things like India, South America, the Alps, New Zealand etc… Though these are all places I’d like to go, for whatever reason they did not resonate with me at the time. As the deadline neared, I gave up trying to make something fit and resolved to undertake an internship. It seemed to me that to do an adventure for the sake of it was not a good enough reason.
When it came to the search for an internship, I was equally confused. As a Biological Natural Scientist who has now left the laboratory and field behind to study the History and Philosophy of Science, it was not as clear as needing to have experience in a research environment like lots of my fellow NatScis. Kate and Hannah were incredibly helpful when it came to sounding out ideas and in May emailed me with an intern opportunity at the Hughes Hall Centre for Climate Engagement. Looking at the application page, it seemed to me that interning there would be an exciting opportunity to combine my academic background in climate science and conservation as well as the writing and teamwork skills I have been nurturing as a student journalist at Varsity. I sent in an application for the role of Partnerships Support intern with the Climate Governance Initiative (CGI), had an interview the following week and confirmed just a few weeks later that I would spend September in Cambridge with the organisation.
My time at the CGI was incredibly insightful. The team were very lovely to get to know and the work was unlike anything I had done before. In my role I saw firsthand how much work goes into maintaining a network with contacts and Chapters in over seventy countries. Most of my time was spent updating information about corporate and academic courses, individuals associated with the organisation from all four corners of the globe and learning about the current state of climate regulatory policy and how boards interact with this strategically to mitigate their contribution to climate change and innovate in a sustainable way. It was a window into a world that I have never before experienced from simple things like working in an office to understanding more complex dynamics regarding environmental and sustainability goals and the functioning of boards. I was also lucky enough to attend events virtually during New York Climate Week which coincided with my last week.
Reflecting on my internship, I am fairly confident that the corporate climate sector is not where I see myself in ten years’ time. That is absolutely not to say it was not a positive experience – what I wanted was something new and different and certainly I got that. I lived in Cambridge by myself for a month (a stark contrast to the busyness of term I am currently reacquainting myself with) and in doing so learnt an awful lot. I also understand the corporate world much more than I did two months ago, something I have come to realise is incredibly important whether you are engaging with it directly (such as in my internship role) or not.
Hearing stories from the exciting adventures my friends in the LEAP cohort went on I have been forced to consider whether I regret not having taken that opportunity. My answer is no. India, South America, the Alps, and New Zealand are not going anywhere. That is not to say that the adventure is not an incredible opportunity for those who have an idea of what they want to do but my internship was also a kind of adventure in and of itself, and in that sense I will recollect my experience very fondly for years to come. This broader interpretation of an adventure, I think, is the point of LEAP, at least for me. I have left my internship with lessons I did not expect to learn and now find myself feeling confident and equipped with the skills necessary to embark on my next adventures. I am incredibly grateful to both LEAP and the Centre for Climate Engagement for making this experience possible.
