How a Cat Lady Joined a Pack of Space Dogs

I am Elisabeth, the newest working student at Laika and new member of the Laika crew, aka Space Dogs. I joined the pack at the beginning of November 2021.

So what should you know about me? I have travelled quite a bit, but never to space! Learning about other cultures and languages has always fascinated me, so it should come as no surprise I have spent most of my past few years travelling to places such as the USA, Spain and even Brazil. 

Before I started my current studies, I actually studied International Business for one year, and I also finished training to become a foreign language correspondent. Due to this, I have extensive knowledge in business English and Spanish, as well as office management and translation. During this training, I completed two internships across Europe, which have strongly influenced my working style, as they greatly improved my intercultural competences. Yet, I always knew that I wanted to focus on something more creative and communicative, such as Public Relations! So that's what I’ve  been studying since October 2021.

Aside from my academic career, I volunteer at a local animal shelter for cats. I’ve wanted to have a cat my entire life—so now I have 20. Call me an overachiever. However, I am not solely a cat person—I love dogs just as much. So obviously, I was very excited to find out that there were office dogs at Laika! How could I not apply?!

I was extremely nervous on my first day, but soon I forgot all about that. The entire crew welcomed me with open arms. I was greeted by a desk full of Laika goodies and a tour through the entire office. Obviously, I felt somewhat overwhelmed those first couple of days, but everyone was and still is helpful in guiding and teaching me. The Space Dog's patience is truly phenomenal. Every day is filled with different tasks, which is nice and keeps the daily routine interesting. For instance, on my second day, I was already invited to participate in a business call, which was really cool and made me feel trusted and included. 

One thing is for certain, it never gets boring at Laika. There is always something new to do, whether it's having a poetry slam to improve our creativity, or figuring out how to include Zelda in our Laika advent raffle. From team events to external training opportunities like non-violent-communication seminars, it is truly a workspace for lifelong learning, and I am curious to see what I will learn next at Laika. I hope that being part of Laika will help increase my level of PR professionalism and skills, as well as help me acquire an elevated creative and lively writing style. Let's see how far we can get in space!

-Elisabeth