When I first heard about the American Arctic Connection internship – a collaboration between the University of Lapland, UArctic, and the U.S. Embassy in Finland – I hardly knew what UArctic was.
By Laura Ditto, Writer, UArctic Foundation US
Despite having grown up in Alaska and attending Alaska Pacific University (APU), a UArctic member institution, the connection between the north2north program or other opportunities was not made obvious.
However, as I was graduating from APU in 2024 and looking for what came next, the internship opportunity drifted into my email inbox. I always intended to stay connected to the Arctic, and while I had a few different employment options (most of which were comfortably within the confines of my home city), the idea of expanding my horizons internationally was hard to beat. So, just four months after graduating, I found myself moving across the world to join the UArctic International Secretariat at the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, Finland.
Throughout my internship in Finland, I got to travel from Inari to Helsinki; meet educators, scientists, and diplomats; learn about other Nordic cultures; and coordinate and attend events that encouraged collaboration across Arctic borders.
While there, even halfway across the world from home, I seldom felt out of place. It was still the Arctic: facing the same harsh winters, breezy autumn days, and unpredictable weather. Skiing and skating in the snow after soaking up what warmth the summer provides. Dodging moose and reindeer on the roads and learning to steer into the skid when your tires start to slide on the ice.
The conversations we shared were similar too, with our eyes always trained on how the climate is increasingly changing the northern world we live in. During a staff meeting in the winter of 2024, we had multiple branches of the UArctic team visit Finland, including some from my home state. While it felt odd at the time – having traveled across the world to meet people from the same place I grew up – it was these connections that continued my work with UArctic.
Now, back in Alaska, I work with UArctic Foundation US, writing grant applications and content to raise funds and awareness for UArctic initiatives. One of the best parts about working with UArctic is seeing the connections we are building, and these harken to one of my favorite things about living in the Arctic: the community.
There has been plenty of literature and discussion on how the small communities of the North foster unique groups that work together, and I have always seen community as a necessity for thriving in the northern climate. However, now, more than ever, cooperation is increasingly important as we face the unique challenges of the Arctic.
This is one of the reasons I am proud to work with UArctic. It is an organization that encourages Arctic communities to reach across borders and work together on a larger scale. It is empowering to know that each day I get to work with people to create a better future for all of the Arctic, from Alaska and beyond.
Photo: Laura Ditto
