Program Reviews

It was an amazing trip for me! I had so much fun working in my internship. I loved being able to see and care for so many different animals and help find them new homes. It helped me get ready for living on my own and taught me how to deal with awful roommates. But mostly, going on trips with the rest of the students and doing activities with Nikki Madden was the highlight of the trip. She was fantastic and her trips with us to Galway and the escape room we did were the highlights of my trip.

Over the summer I was able to intern in Cape Town, South Africa and it was nothing short of amazing!!! My initial expectation was to gain an internship but, I left with so much more. Connect 123 not only guided me to the internship of my dreams but they also connected me to a new found family. I built lasting relationships with employers, made life-long friendships, and found my home away from home. Every day I worked alongside colleagues, reviewed analytics reports, and worked on currents projects. Interning not only confirmed my classroom knowledge but, it gave me a platform to develop new marketing skills. Connect 123 is an experience that will challenge you, connect you, and propel your professional career. They give you the tools necessary to succeed, so get ready you will leave better than you came.

My internship was a bit different than what I expected and this was for the best. Specifically, there was not much direction in terms of how I was supposed to organize the event that I was planning for my host organization (which Connect 123 placed me with) However, this was not a bad thing. My supervisor simply instructed me to “go crazy” with sponsors, advertisement, and endorsements for a fundraising event in which participants were challenged to climb the three peaks of the Cape Town skyline. It was admittedly difficult to make connections and network in a city that is completely unknown to me, but the challenge was been rewarding. I found many individuals who are willing to support my company’s work in reducing homelessness, gangsterism, and incarceration by making contributions to my efforts. I also learned to communicate a non-profit business model, something I had no prior experience with.

My program coordination in Cape Town was nothing short of fantastic. I had two coordinators who worked with me. Both are natives of South Africa (Cape Town and Johannesburg respectively). They were wonderful, having provided enough guidance to see me through my first days while giving me the space to grow and discover on my own as my time in Cape Town passed. They planned social events with other students in this summer’s group on a weekly basis, from cooking events to countryside expeditions. I was so fortunate to find friends in Cape Town, both in my program and outside of it, who I believe will be comrades long into the future. This has everything to do with the strength of Connect 123's program. Since returning to Santa Clara this past academic year, I have guided friends through Connect 123's application process because I so firmly believe in it.

My first few weeks were rough: not from a "culture shock" perspective, but from the standpoint of fear of messing up my Spanish by talking to people. I also had hesitations about connecting with people at my internship: would they interact with me? Or just let me be there? Thankfully, after about a month, both of those concerns started to fade: I became much better about accepting that I may some silly things in Spanish, and that was okay. At my internship, the dental staff came to really accept me into their group. We didn't only talk about dentistry, but a few of us met up outside of the hospital for food, and little adventures through the Chinese District in Buenos Aires. I'm dedicated to going back to visit this great group, and my internship made these great moments of learning and growth possible!

My time in Buenos Aires was incredible. Both personally as well as professionally I grew so much in the last four months. The internship, cultural learnings and exchanges, and the language immersion were all such a big part of the experience. I encountered some issues at my first host organization, but through lots of meetings and communication with Connect-123 they were able to help me find a more suitable organization to intern with. It ended up being the government of Buenos Aires, in the department of sustainability and social responsibility. The work I was able to do was both impactful and hugely beneficial to the government itself. The office welcomed me warmly into the environment, and I was even given a mate by one of my coworkers! If you are a student recently graduated from high school or from college, or a student in the middle of their college career like me, I would highly recommend using Connect-123 to to coordinate your experience abroad. The experience is invaluable and will be unlike anything you might receive from a classroom.

This review is long overdue. I participated in the Cape Town internship with Connect 123 all the way back in 2014! I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Management and Connect 123 placed me with "The Backpack" hostel where I worked reception, tour desk, and occasionally the bar! It was a life-changing experience where I met some incredible people and was able to really get to know the city! What was especially awesome about this internship was that many of the local tour guides allowed me to go on their tours for free for promotional purposes...this means it was free wine tastings, shark cage diving, and tours around the city!

There were three great gains I experience from this trip with Connect-123 that I would not have had if I had not traveled to Argentina. I discovered my future profession, Dentistry, by being able to shadow a very friendly dental staff. Additionally, I still keep in touch with people from my internship simply because we got a long so well. And finally I want to mention how greatly my Spanish developed: the people I came in contact with were understanding as I tried to discuss complex topics in Spanish.

While in class studying to become a child life specialist, I am taught over and over that play is the universal language of childhood. It was not until I immersed myself in a whole new culture across the world, when I realized the truth to this statement. Having the opportunity to work with so many different children, in all sorts of settings, speaking many of the different languages native to South Africa was incredible. Recognizing how play is a language we all can "speak" and understand and its importance to a child is a lesson whose impact goes much further than the classroom.

The people that I worked with in Barcelona were so welcoming and genuinely cared that I was enjoying myself in the city. They were so supportive and they helped me out so much when I was getting acclimated to the city but when I was acclimated they let me explore and travel to other countries in Europe on my own. They planned so many fun and different events for us to come with and they are great event to see all the little things that Barcelona has to offer.

I did my internship with Connect 123 at the University of Cape Town for close to 3 months as a research engineer intern. It was nothing short of amazing!

My decision to join the program in Cape Town was almost an impulsive one, so I did not manage to plan sufficiently prior to the trip. However, the staff from Connect 123, particularly Caitlin and Lucie, were very helpful in advising on what to bring and prepare for! Over in Cape Town, they organised social nights for us to be connected with other interns from different countries that are doing various other internship programmes! This helped to ease the homesickness as we had our own family there! Our development and safety was their priority as they would send in emails every now and then to get updates on our progress and well being. They really had our welfare at heart!

All in all, joining the internship programme with Connect 123 was one of the best university decisions I have ever made! Best hospitality, best location, best experience!