Program Reviews

This trip was the best time of my life. I have made so many memories and experienced so many things that will stay with me for the rest of my life, including skydiving, bungee jumping, Cederberg camping weekend, and my Kruger safari trip. I met incredible people along the way who have impacted my life and changed me far more than I ever thought possible. I have learned so many things and definitely look at life differently as a result of this experience. My internship was amazing and I know the skills and knowledge that I have gained from it will benefit a lot me later in life. Cape Town is an amazing place and I will definitely be coming back here in the future and would maybe like to live here one day. Thank you so, such a VACorps team -it wouldn't have been possible without you!!!

The Internship was perfect. I had the opportunity to work with one of the top legal minds in Cape Town and had an invaluable learning/ practical experience during my time here. It was a pleasure working with genuinely good people, and the support from the VACorps staff was exceptional. Also, the cultural activities we attended on Mondays were wonderful and very informative and Friday activities were the perfect way to start the weekend. I made so many new friends and the only regret I have was that I couldn't prolong my stay.

I chose Cape Town because it was one of the few cities that was open to American travelers at the time. I also have friends at home who were born in Cape Town and whose parents were raised there and they definitely encouraged me to go. I wanted to do an internship because I wanted to get a sense of the real world before studying it in earnest at University next year. It is hard to know what you really want to do career-wise without having any or much exposure to it. In other words, something may seem cool in theory but once you actually get there and start working in that field it may not be what you had imagined. VAC gave me the opportunity to explore my interests in hospitality before deciding that it is what I want to study in college and pursue long-term.

During my time in Cape Town, I learned that I am capable of so much more than I thought. The idea of college terrified me because of all the independence and having to figure out how to balance schoolwork with a social life and making friends with living my life and partaking in all the crazy adventures this world has to offer. It all just felt like so much to take on, but VAC gave me the opportunity to figure it out in a low-stakes environment. Yes, I was working in a professional workplace and needed to complete what was expected of me, but the mistakes I made there are not going to follow me the same way they may in college.

What I loved most about living in Cape Town was definitely the accessibility to so much. You are living right between a city, ocean, and mountains. There is just so much that you can do in Cape Town. I also enjoyed living alone with other people my age and learning together how to do it all. I will miss the energy that the gap students brought to the group. Someone always wanted to do something, so I was never bored or out of ideas of things to do. I stayed for three months and that time flew by quicker than expected. The VAC staff are nothing but incredible. I am most grateful for how they treat their program participants. They truly look at us like adults and not kids so they give us a ton of freedom but are also always there for support when needed. As a gap student, I feel that it was really up to me how involved I wanted to be with the VAC staff which I appreciate a lot. There were never any mandatory checkups or anything like that which made the environment more welcoming to stop by and say hello.

I chose this internship because I was excited at the prospect of engaging with a human rights program in South Africa. I wanted to learn more about South African culture, as well as develop the skills necessary to succeed working with an organization in another country. From this experience, I learned a lot not only from my check-ins with my internship supervisor but also from my country hosts. Their flexibility and understanding helped me to still learn and engage with the culture, even though my work schedule interfered with the biweekly cultural series meetings. I am very thankful for all of those who provided me with support through this program so I could gain the most from this opportunity.

I chose to do a placement in South Africa (virtually) because I love scriptwriting and was keen to learn more about that area of work, as I wish to pursue it as a career. I really loved the weekly cultural meetings that were hosted by the loveliest ladies ever. I made new friends in South Africa and learned so much about the cultures, lifestyles, traditions, and food! I also made a new friend, another intern who was doing the placement with me. I will miss the meetings every week and learning more about the country and seeing my new friends every day.

I chose to do a placement in South Africa (virtually) because I love scriptwriting and was keen to learn more about that area of work, as I wish to pursue it as a career. I really loved the weekly cultural meetings that were hosted by the loveliest ladies ever. I made new friends in South Africa and learned so much about the cultures, lifestyles, traditions, and food! I also made a new friend, another intern who was doing the placement with me. I will miss the meetings every week and learning more about the country and seeing my new friends every day.

Due to the pandemic, I returned to my hometown Hong Kong, and I started to look at remote internship opportunities online. That’s when I received the college’s email about VACorps’ Remote internship abroad in South Africa, and I thought it would be a valuable opportunity to get experience working with a company and understand more about South Africa’s culture and business environment. The experience turned out to be beyond expectation. I much enjoyed my internship, as the team has a vibrant and supportive ambiance, and it made me feel that my opinions are valued. Furthermore, my supervisor, who was also the company’s CEO, had also been approachable and frequently communicated with me to ask about my progress and answer any questions. She provided various working opportunities to me beyond accounting works, which helped me to reconfirm my interests in business analytics. During the three months, I got to step out of my comfort zone by presenting my analytical findings through weekly meetings. This experience enabled me to polish my presentation skill that was once one of my weaknesses. Overall, I improved professionally and personally through this internship opportunity, and I will miss the wonderful team at my internship site, and the supportive VACorps staff.

I chose this internship experience because I wanted to gain an appreciation for another culture while also learning how to better my writing and research skills. South Africa has always been a top location of mine to visit and although I couldn't be there physically, the VACorps online cultural workshops helped me gain a great understanding of the country from the comfort of my home. I think the best part about interning with my host company was getting to work with Patricia, my supervisor. She exudes genuine warmth and friendliness, and was relaxed about meetings and completing tasks so as not to put too much pressure on me due to work and other responsibilities I had during the internship. My favorite part of the internship was reading and deconstructing her book, 'Skyline', as I felt a real connection with the story and the characters and how to relates to the world today. It made me want to travel, meet people and find stories like those in the book, and be a more compassionate person. Honestly, what I will miss most about the experience is talking to my supervisor - hearing her insight and her research into crafting and creating these incredibly complex characters, and the emotional stories they tell. I have been given a new appreciation for work in the writing world and now understand that it's not all glamour, but the hard work can be just as fun.

As I was planning my gap year, I was instantly drawn to VaCorps. The beauty of Cape Town and the opportunity to intern abroad with a group of students really interested me: there's something about living independently in a foreign city that is really hard to beat. My time in Cape Town definitely feels like the embodiment of "work hard, play hard": while we all had our own different internships and work commitments, the social aspect was definitely a huge part of why I loved my experience in Cape Town so much. I really feel like when you have a routine and have work responsibilities you're able to appreciate the city you're in much more: from sprinting to the beach after work to exploring new neighbourhoods and trying out new food markets we all really made the most out of our time in Cape Town.

I definitely learnt to be more adaptable here in Cape Town: I grew to enjoy the feeling of being out of my comfort zone and trying new things, as well as just accepting that many things in life are unpredictable. Additionally, I learnt to appreciate teamwork much more through my internship. We always worked on tasks as a team and I really valued that experience.

I love how much Cape Town has to offer: there's really nowhere else in the world in which you can go straight from a 3-hour hike to a relaxing afternoon on the beach. I'm also a huge fan of the food scene here: during my three months here in Cape Town, I've spent almost all of my Saturdays at the Old Biscuit Mill food market (it's INSANELY good).

I'm extremely grateful for the constant support VACorps provided. I knew that if I ever needed anything, even at the craziest hours of the night a VACorps staff member would pick up the phone and help out. You're really living the best of both worlds, living independently in a foreign city while having the certainty that if anything were to happen the VAC team would be there to support you.

Visiting South Africa was always a dream of mine. It seemed so far away but yet a place full of beauty and adventure. During this crossroad in my life, and as an adult changing careers I thought: what better place to end this transition than in a beautiful city like Cape Town. I saw various internship websites and when I came across VACorps and read about the various programs and testimonials of other interns immediately gave me lots of positivity and trust. Since the first email, I sent VACorps until the end of my application process to come to Cape Town everyone was so welcoming, patient and made sure I understood the whole process while making me feel safe and confident in my decision. I really enjoyed going to Cape Point on one of the weekly activities with all the interns and part of the VACorps staff, it was a beautiful and unforgettable experience. One of the biggest highlights of my trip was going on the Garden Route Tour, I had just landed from Spain 2 days before, and here I was 2 days later going on a beautiful safari with the whole team, it really made my trip start with a big bang! I loved every second of it, and I will treasure those memories forever. I always felt safe and taken care of by the team as well as my internship site felt like one big family. I never felt alone or unprotected being so far away from home. The warmth and kindness everyone showed me mean the world to me and a little piece of my heart will always remain in Cape Town.

I recommend all interns looking for an adventure of a lifetime, an unforgettable experience while learning and gaining experience in their respective careers to choose VACorps. Whether you are in your gap year or changing careers at a later stage of your life like me, this is a beautiful, unique, and enriching experience. I learned a lot at my internship practice at the psychiatric clinic where I worked, it has given me a better understanding of what to expect in my new career as a psychologist, and I have also learned a lot about myself. I am forever grateful for the guidance, support, and everything I learned during my internship. I always felt part of their team, I never felt like an outsider nor even as an intern. Thank you for making me feel valued and for teaching me about all the unique experiences the world of psychology has to offer. I still have much to learn as someone starting in the world of psychology, but if my experience at the Clinic is a small taste of what is yet to come, then I am very happy and excited about the future.