Kaitlyn Heinlein

Unlike many meteorologists, Twister was not one of my favorite movies when I was younger. Instead, I loved Apollo 13 and was absolutely fascinated with the exploration of space. However, once I came to realize how long an astronaut could be away from home at a given time, I came to grips with the fact that space was just too far for me. This is when my mom opened me up to the world of weather instead, as she noticed that I would be quite the window-watcher during any thunderstorm or snowfall event. Now ever since sixth grade, I have been chasing this passion, eventually moving from my home on the Southside of Chicago to attain a B.S. in Meteorology at Valparaiso University, to finishing up a M.S. in Atmospheric Science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. All the while, I have continued to play my favorite sport of volleyball, cheer on the Green Bay Packers every fall, eat plenty of ice cream, and enjoy all things Disney. Other than school and these hobbies, I have invested much of my time throughout the years in a variety of internships such as the National Weather Service, Weather Services International at United Airlines, and now with Innovative Weather. After having spent the past year with Innovative Weather, I cannot imagine going into the 'real world' without having this particular experience. Working with the IW team has helped me to not only enhance my professional skills through client consultation, but it has also enabled me to connect all the pieces of my education and previous experiences in a way that has fully prepared me for the next exciting step of my future.