Program Reviews

My experience with the VACorps program genuinely has changed my life as to who I am. I adored every second of being here and learning about myself and the different cultures here. If I had the chance to come back I would in a heartbeat and I made several life-long friends during my stay.

My internship really helped me have job clarity because I was unsure if I was in the right major. However, once I had spent several days at my internship site, I was reassured that my job choice in the field of PT is great for me as I look ahead to the future.

I chose Cape Town as my internship location because of the immense beauty and rich culture present here! I have loved every second of the 5 weeks that I have spent in Cape Town, and I will forever cherish the amazing memories, friendships, and lessons that I have experienced. What I loved most about my time in Cape Town were the memories I made here both at my internship site and outside of it! At my medical internship site, I learned to keep an open mind and be very vocal and outgoing when speaking with the nurses, doctors, and staff. Outside of my internship site, I have gotten to learn about the culture of South Africa alongside the many friends that I made during my time here. The VACorps staff did an amazing job with organizing weekly activities and culture sessions that helped me to meet so many of the other VACorps interns! I am so grateful for my time in Cape Town and for the many experiences and friendships I have made along the way thanks to VACorps.

I heard about VACorps from my friends and wanted to go with them. I’ve always heard Cape Town is a beautiful place, and I wanted to learn how the medical world worked here. I loved meeting the people most. I loved shadowing doctors, too. I learned that I am capable of more than I thought I was before coming on this trip. I’ll never forget watching my first birth at the clinic. I loved the markets in Cape Town. I will miss the food, the views, and the people. I stayed for five weeks and I would advise others to do the same. It’s a perfect amount of time to be away and get what you need to get done. The staff and the activities were amazing. I’m most grateful for Kus and Kholi from the VACorps team.

In a word my time in Cape Town, South Africa with VACorps was incredible! This was the first chance I've really had to live independently and it helped me to figure out what I want in life and who I want to be. I can't imagine who I would be without this place or this internship. I ended up extending my stay in Cape Town well beyond the end of the gap year program. In terms of my future career, learned what working for a non-profit is actually like and how adults attempt to balance work and life.

Although my stay was only five weeks, this was the greatest experience of my life. I have never traveled before, so this was a huge change. First and foremost I learned that travelling might be my thing. I would love to come back. VACorps were amazing. I was treated as family from the second I walked in. I am very appreciative of the staff specifically. They were outstanding humans. I chose Cape Town because it was a go big or go home type of decision. I had never left the United States so I decided why not go somewhere crazy. My favorite part about the journey here was the culture shock. I learned so many new things that made me smarter and got rid of any ignorance or lack of knowledge I may have had about countries I have never been to. The people, specifically in Observatory, are amazing.

I choose to study abroad in Cape Town, South Africa to experience and learn about a new culture. Living in Cape Town for 4 months has been life-changing. I have left this program with more values and understanding than I ever thought I would. I recognize that I am blessed to have an amazing opportunity like this so if you have the chance to travel to Cape Town VAC is the way to go! I promise you won’t leave South Africa the same! (Also you are going to meet some amazing people & there is no way you will leave without a friend)

I chose to intern in Cape Town because of a professor I once had. He would always talk about how wonderful Cape Town was and how breathtaking the views were. Most importantly he talked about how kind and generous the people were. I have spent the last two months interning at a local biotech company, and I am so grateful for what I got to learn there and the new family it feels like I have. I am also appreciative of VACorps and how easy they made it for me to just come in and feel like I was part of something. I will never forget the people here or the experiences I have had and I will miss all of it. Cape Town is truly one of the greatest places I have ever been and I wouldn't change a minute of it.

I have been in Cape Town for almost 5 months now and looking back on the time I can say that it was a priceless experience that I will cherish my whole life. I was able to meet amazing people from all over the world, with whom I am still in contact with even though some of them left months ago and I am sure that we will stay in touch. For my personal life, this whole time was an incredible opportunity to grow, expand my horizons, and immerse myself in different cultures. My personal highlights were the wine tasting in Stellenbosch and honestly just the life with my great friends at 317 Lower Main. I was so thankful for the VACorps staff who were always there when I needed them and seeing Kus' and Kholi's beautiful smiles and their great moods whenever we did an activity always made my day.

For my professional life, it was extremely beneficial as well. I was an intern at a tech accelerator, which assists and accelerates disruptive startups in Africa. I was able to learn more and more every single week and was quickly accepted as a real team member by my amazing co-workers. It was definitely a time-consuming internship but personally for me it was exactly right. I felt that I could actually help and assist the team and in the second half of my internship, I got my own projects and was trusted to work independently. I would definitely advise everyone who is interested in working with startups or the world of VC to apply to VACorps. I am certain that everything I learned in my internship will prove invaluable for my future as I continue to pursue my professional goals.

In general, I can say that it was the best decision to come to Cape Town, for everyone thinking about it I would suggest coming around October/November to skip the winter if you are from the northern hemisphere.

VACorps is a magnificent program located in a magnificent city. I departed Cape Town after living there for three months. The time I have spent in Cape Town went by far too quickly, but looking back I have had so many unforgettable experiences. There is never a dull moment when living in Cape Town. Whether you like to hike, shop, skydive, scuba, or volunteer there are a million opportunities for this and infinitely more. I came expecting to only stay two months but ended up extending my trip since I couldn’t imagine leaving so soon. Through VACore I worked as a teach at a local school focused on integrating Zimbabwean students into the South African education system. On my very last day of internship, the staff put together a lovely celebration in my honor. All of the staff came together with food, drinks, and cake to wish me safe travels and to say thank you. I couldn’t express how grateful to them I was for this opportunity.

VACorps itself is a lovely program. The staff are so kind and welcoming. I was never afraid or homesick while here since I knew I had such strong support systems. The weekly activities were always a great time, getting together with all the students after a hectic week at our sites and getting to see new parts of the city. I have loved my experience with VACorps, I couldn’t have asked for a better program.

Cape Town and the VACorps have provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and experience for me. I came here as part of my process of deciding where my next step in life is, and I can now say with resounding enthusiasm that I have gained priceless insight into the world and life itself through this experience. While my internship wasn't the most productive, the life lessons I've learned, continue to become exponentially more valuable as I continue to grow and shape my view of the world. Overall it was a great experience and I have made friends that I will never forget, among both interns and VACorps staff members. (I'm talking about you, Kus ;) can't wait to come back!