Connect-123 internship program was absolutely incredible. Traveling to South Africa to work at Red Cross War Memorial Hospital was an amazing experience, and Connect-123 was a big part of that. Connect-123 settled my apprehensions of being in a different part of the world more than I could have imagined. Everything right down to weekend events, social outings, and work related events were planned out so well that there was no need to worry about anything. Everything was so organized and it allowed me to have the optimal experience in Cape Town.

In addition, working through the Child life project at RCCH was amazing. Traveling to South Africa to assess the needs of child life within hospitals definitely shaped my career goals, as well as personal goals. At the beginning of the experience, I expected to be the teacher, implementing methods and techniques of a Child Life specialist, but instead, I also came away from the experience with more knowledge of interacting with people in general than I could have ever imagined. Working at the hospital and interacting with such a diverse population forced me to stretch my limits and go beyond my comfort level to the extreme. Being in a place where I wasn’t always familiar definitely was not easy at times, but personally and professionally, I would not be where I am today if I had not been a part of the Connect-123 Child Life team. It has definitely given me that extra step towards being better at practicing the profession of Child Life. I would HIGHLY recommend Connect-123 internship programs to anyone considering it.