My Connect-123 internship allowed me to see the world from a completely different lens. I had the opportunity to work closely with physicians on the frontlines of the HIV/AIDS crisis in South Africa, and meet mothers who were desperately hoping that treatment could enable them to give birth to HIV free babies. It was a transformative experience in so many ways - it gave me new insights into the tremendous inequities that exist in our world and the role that poverty plays as a social determinant of health.

Not only did I return to Cape Town to live, I remain friends with the people who I stayed with during my internship and even married someone I met while doing my internship! Cape Town continues to be my second home, and I keep connected to people I met during this experience.

My internship significantly influenced the trajectory of my career. I moved back to Cape Town after graduating and worked at an international health nonprofit for 8 years thereafter. I have focused my entire career on global health and development, due in large part to my time with Connect-123.