Graduating student international ambassador, Kailyn Kosko, reflects on her global experiences as an undergraduate student

By Brooke Adams

This week, we have two student international ambassadors graduating from the Herbert College of Agriculture. As ambassadors, they have the opportunity to share their memories about study abroad with interested students and encourage them to participate in global experiences. As they prepare to close this chapter of their life, they reflect on the global involvement they have had during their time at the University of Tennessee. Find out more about student experiences through our #StudyAbroadStories series!

Kailyn Kosko is a senior in the Herbert College of Agriculture majoring in agricultural leadership, education, and communication with a concentration in community engagement and leadership development and has a minor in international agriculture and natural resources. Kailyn is involved in many student organizations including the student international ambassadors, the Tennessee Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow, Collegiate 4-H and FFA, and the Herbert Ambassadors.

Kailyn took part in the UTK Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Challenges in Guatemala study abroad course over spring break in 2022. While in Guatemala, Kailyn had the chance to participate in many activities including teaching children, hiking an active volcano, and visiting a Mayan women’s group.

One of her favorite memories is the day they visited with Niños Del Lagos (Children of the Lake), an after school program for young children. They spent the day playing games and participating in learning activities with them. “That was really impactful for me because even though I did not speak Spanish, we were still able to have conversation and connections with the children there,” Kosko said.

Study abroad experiences leave lasting impressions on students in many different ways. For Kailyn, she became more appreciative for the resources available to her in the U.S. “Traveling somewhere so different from home is an interesting experience.  It made me appreciate what I have more fully, strengthened my ability to show others empathy, and taught me so much about international agriculture in the process,” Kosko explained.

Kailyn is attending graduate school here at the Herbert College of Agriculture in the Fall. She will be pursuing a master’s degree in agricultural leadership, education, and communication. She is excited for this next chapter in her life and looks forward to being back at UT in the fall. Eventually, she hopes to have a career within the communications sector of the agricultural industry, but is keeping an open mind to any opportunities that come along.

Studying abroad allowed her to broaden her career goals and influenced her to focus on an international aspect of agriculture and natural resources. She expressed her interest in continuing to #GrowGlobal and have more international exposure in her future endeavors. Her time abroad also led to her undergraduate research project. “Working with Dr. Granberry, I had the chance to learn about how participating in study abroad programs correlates to students’  multicultural intelligence,” Kokso said regarding this project. “Many students are aware of other cultures, but have not been fully immersed into them.” Having this opportunity allowed her to gain a greater understanding for how essential it is for students to have study abroad programs available to them. 

Kailyn encourages students to get involved on campus, whether that be through international travel, clubs on campus, or getting to know your professors. “Utilizing different scholarship opportunities can make studying abroad more affordable than what the cost will be to travel internationally later in life,” Kosko said when discussing the financial support available to students. “The Smith Center and Herbert College help alleviate the costs of traveling abroad to make it more accessible for everyone.” There are several options when it comes to scholarships for studying abroad. As a Herbert student, you are able to apply for scholarships through the Center for Global Engagement, the Herbert College of Agriculture, and the Smith Center.

She encourages students to consider studying abroad because she believes that it is crucial for students to get out of their comfort zones by embracing a new culture and environment. “It makes you feel like such a small part of a huge world,” Kosko said when considering how her outlook has changed since studying abroad. “I want to continue to travel and have these experiences for longer periods of time and in new places.” We are so happy for Kailyn to be continuing her college education here and we hope to see her continue to #GrowGlobal as a graduate student!

If you are interested in helping us expand global engagement at the Institute, we will be recruiting new student international ambassadors at the beginning of each semester! Starting in June, stop by our new office in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Building suite 213 to learn about all the resources available to students, and find out how you can #GrowGlobal at UTIA!