Kaya Hartley

What is your educational background?

I will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of Utah when I return to the United States. I chose to go into journalism because I am passionate about information accessibility and empathy through education.

Throughout my educational career most of my work has surrounded human rights, with a specific focus on the refugee crisis. Studying journalism has taught me the value of learning through listening.

What have you been working on in your time here at the USSC?

Like my supervisor, Jared Mondschein, told me at the beginning of my internship, I have been working on a little bit of everything. I have been able to research a wide range of topics like AgTech, trade, investment, data privacy, energy, innovation, and more. For my personal research piece, I chose to explore indigenous land rights. I have specifically been looking at reparations that have taken place in both the U.S. with the Native American population, and Australia with the Aboriginal population.

As a journalist, it’s important to have a broad understanding of current topics, so researching such a wide variety of areas has been really beneficial for my chosen career.

I have felt really lucky to have the opportunity to immerse myself in areas that I knew nothing about upon arrival. I am coming out of this internship feeling so much more informed and prepared for what comes next than I had anticipated.

What is it like living in Sydney?

Living in Sydney has been so much fun! I was especially thrilled to be skipping out on the harsh Utah winter to enjoy weekends at the beach. I have found that Sydney has even more to offer than I expected. I have been able to experience new places, both metropolitan and the outdoors every weekend. The diversity of cultures and, subsequently, the variety of incredible food has been a wonderful surprise.

What do you hope to do with your experience from the USSC?

I will definitely carry the research skills I’ve gained from USSC into my career. I have also really enjoyed the dynamic of working in a think tank. Regardless of where I end up career-wise, interning at the United States Studies Centre has been a great introduction into a professional setting.