My practicum entailed working in two different hospitals and a multidisciplinary clinic in Cape Town, South Africa 5 days a week as well as weekly learning sessions with our preceptor, a leading Certified Child Life Specialist in the field, and working on assignments such as reflective journaling, goal setting, and case studies on the development of children and the impact hospitalization has on them. Our mornings spent in the hospital included engaging with children to play, inviting groups of children to open spaces for group play, and observing how our preceptor helped children and their families through medical procedures and routines. As students, we sharpened our skills in assessment and developmentally appropriate play, how to communicate professionally with doctors, nurses, and other medical staff, as well as collaborate with our cohort, and how to engage families in caring for their children and coping with hospitalization, sometimes this included discovering ways to communicate with individuals who did not share a common language.

My preceptor, Meghan, helped me gain the foundation of my child life skill set. That is to say, I use every skill from my practicum in my work today: how to engage appropriately with hospitalized children and their families, how to communicate without the same language, the foundations of play, and the best ways to connect with children and families, no matter the circumstances. I am so thankful that Connect-123 and their child life practicum allowed me to step outside of my "world" in the States and work with new cultures, new languages, and new experiences, because now that I'm in Canada, I face the same every day and have felt 100% capable in my role thanks to my experience in South Africa.

While I was passionate about international travel and the field of child life before my practicum, the Connect-123 experience really ignited the fire under me and gave me amazing connections in the field. While I never would have imagined ending up in a different country than the US to begin my career, I think my experience in South Africa influenced me to push to work outside of the States that much more, so I've ended up in Canada. I've also maintained a close bond with my preceptor and was able to reach out to her during my internship and continue to as I start in the field. My experience working with her in Cape Town was incredible. I learned so much from her, and I'm so thankful that she is someone I can continue to learn from.