Reviews
Real stories from real participants, parents and university partners who share their experiences as well as their advice. Learn more about the benefits Connect-123 interns and volunteers receive on our programs around the world!
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Isabel Symancyk
Planning my time in Buenos Aires months beforehand up until I arrived at the airport felt like a dream. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like, what challenges I would face, what emotions I would experience. My goal in travelling to a country abroad was to learn about the culture, learn the language, and learn more about myself. Although I knew it would be challenging, living on my own in a new country provided many new learning experiences. I had to buy groceries, cook, navigate a large city, as well as speak a language that is fairly new to me, while also staying on top of my work as an intern, and budgeting my expenses. Although it is easy to understand that there are other cultures in this world besides your own, living and experiencing another culture is completely different. As soon as I arrived, there was something about the unpredictability, the architectural beauty, the prevalence of art and activism that I found solace in. At first, the differences between Buenos Aires and my home town were overwhelming, but since my arrival it has become more routine given the housing and work Connect-123 found for me. I feel very at home here even though this city is so large that it is hard to know all of it. Between the museums, ferias, parques, two months in Buenos Aires is definitely not enough, and I hope to return as soon as I am able to continue admiring this beautiful country.
Internships in Buenos Aires
Sharon Wohl
I spent the fall semester of my senior year interning in Dublin, Ireland. I volunteered at a youth centre and got to interact with children ages 6-18 in a variety of ways including leadership, sports, art, and music. I was given a lot of responsibility within the centre and even took charge of the art projects we lead for the after school program. My experiences working with the youth of Dublin will greatly benefit my career within the helping professional field. In addition to my internship, I also travelled all around Ireland. From the lively city of Dublin, to what seems like 'the end of the world' in the west at the Cliffs of Moher, to the historical city of Belfast in the north, the picturesque coastline of the south and all the rolling green hills in between. Whether I was listening to live music in a pub, eating stew and brown bread or planning for the next adventure, I had a smile on my face throughout it all and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Ireland. Interning through Connect-123 is an excellent way to gain knowledge, learn about other cultures, travel, and access skills to be used towards future jobs.
Internships in Dublin
Kristine Wright
During my time in Cape Town I was based in a fantastic government hospital and got to work with some incredible doctors and nurses. I observed open heart surgeries, organ donation surgeries and transplants. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring Cape Town and Langebaan in particular was awesome! I took a kite boarding course and spent most of my free time surfing and kite boarding! I found Cape Town to be very laid back and a great place to visit and hike!
Internships in Cape Town
Krista Rodriguez
I had the opportunity to travel to Buenos Aires for my summer in 2016. Although I had prepared for most of the year until then, I wasn't quite sure what to expect before I got off the plane. This was the longest that I had spent away from home, and certainly the longest time I had spent in a foreign country that didn't speak my native language. Thankfully I did not have to worry long. I was set up with a wonderful housing and internship placement. I was able to make connections with my boss and coworkers that I still keep to this day, and my Spanish improved in leaps and bounds to where it was before. Thanks to the connections that I made in country, I had experiences I would have never gotten as a tourist. It was amazing being able to really be a part of the Argentinian community, which is full of incredibly helpful and kind people.
Internships in Buenos Aires
Helen Bonnyman
During my gap year before starting as a freshman at Rice University, I interned for 3 months as a teacher’s assistant at a preschool in Buenos Aires. It was a super great experience: my Spanish skills improved tremendously, I gained valuable experience working with children, and I immersed myself in the porteño culture. My internship was certainly hard at times, mostly because of the language barrier between myself and the other teachers, I was enriched so much by getting to spend time with such adorable children. Outside my internship, I loved taking classes at the language school Connect-123 referred me too. The teachers there were excellent and I made friends with several of the other students there from Europe and the US. This was my first time living on my own, which presented some of the biggest challenges of my trip, but our program coordinator was always there if I needed help. I like the way being a Connect-123 intern provided me with a network of new friends to explore Buenos Aires and Argentina with. There were many planned activities us interns could join in on, but C-123 was appropriately hands-off so that our experiences could be as unstructured as we wanted. We were in charge of shaping our own experiences. The highlight of my 3-month time in Argentina was the trip I took to Patagonia with some friends from Connect-123. I would certainly recommend a Connect-123 internship to anyone looking for an educational and fun experience that can be as structured or as free as you wish.
Internships in Buenos Aires
Christine Oswald
The summer I spent in Cape Town was a life changing experience. I made life-long friends and grew so much as a person. I was able to intern with a fantastic organization that does aid work in townships throughout South Africa. Not only did my coworkers treat me like family but the internship allowed me to see a side of Cape Town that a typical tourist would not have been exposed to. Connect-123 was incredibly helpful in helping me adjust to the city and plan events with other interns. Along with organized outings, the Connect staff lent me several books to help with planning a road trip and even helped me find a hotel for my mom when she visited. I would recommend this program to anyone who is a little unsure about traveling to a new place completely by yourself. Connect-123 provides a solid support system while giving you enough space to explore and learn how to navigate a foreign country on your own. The skills and experiences I have taken away from Cape Town will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Internships in Cape Town
Isabella Alvarez
I interned in Cape Town the summer after I graduated from college, and I could not be happier about my decision of going to South Africa, and postponing the job hunting. While I was in Cape Town, I learned more about myself, became friends with people from all over the world, and immersed myself in a country with a complex history -- an experience I believe everyone should have before jumping into a full-time job. To put things in perspective, I befriended a local family who taught me the ins and outs of Cape Town, and who provided me with a firsthand perspective of South Africa's history and culture. Two of my closest friends there also happened to be British, allowing me to better understand the culture of the UK without having to go there. While in South Africa, I abseiled down Table Mountain and traveled through its Garden Route where we took part in an elephant encounter and crept through some caves. I went on a safari in Kruger, and even had the opportunity of exploring the country's neighbor, Namibia. In all, I had an amazing time and feel fortunate to have such good memories of the summer after I graduated from university. Connect-123 is unique because you also gain a unique outlook in regards to the country's work culture. I interned at a startup, an experience I absolutely loved! My supervisor allowed me to take plenty of initiative, and I found myself creating a variety of projects for them. During my interviews today, this experience is always a talking point, and I feel better prepared to take on a full time job. Before deciding on going, I constantly thought about how I should have already gone abroad, and about how I was pushing back on two months in which I could already be working. I took a step back though, and realized that in the scheme of things, two months is really not a lot -- especially since those two months would provide me with memories and lessons that would last me a lifetime. If you are having these same kinds of doubts, my advice to you is to just go. You'll be glad you did.
Internships in Cape Town
Rana Mahmoud Samy
I always dreamed of living in Barcelona, and being an architecture student, there was no better city to have this experience. I was hesitating at first, when applying to the Connect-123 program, I was afraid to believe in it too much, to get my hopes up. Even after everything was set, I still didn't believe it was actually happening...And then, I was here! Here in Barcelona living the life I always dreamed of, and it turned out to be the best decision I have ever made! For me, this was not just an internship program, it was a life experience. I had to grow on so many levels and i can already tell that now, I'm a changed person. The architecture internship was better than I expected, I was working with a team of passionate people (small office, big projects & even bigger minds), I had the chance to experiment, to design, and I was trusted and given big tasks from the get go. Not speaking Catalan or Spanish made it harder for me to fit in within the social context of the office, it was challenging, but I managed to bond with every single one of my colleagues....and that was the hard part, realizing how much of an impact the people around you have on the quality of your experience. I was out of my comfort zone in every possible way, and I managed to adapt. Throughout my stay in Barcelona, I was in contact with the Connect-123 office, I met some of them, they introduced me to other interns and made me feel like I was genuinely cared about. At the end, looking back at this experience, I can say that I truly LIVED in Barcelona, I walked every street, met so many people from all from so many places, worked till my eyes shut closed, danced till my feet hurt, sang at every corner, laughed and cried my heart out...it was one of the most intense periods of my life, I loved every second of it, and I will do it again in a heartbeat!
Internships in Barcelona
Katherine Mooney
Through Connect-123, I had the very unique opportunity to be involved in multiple internships. I worked for a language institute that offers private classes, at a summer camp, as a camp counselor, and at a bilingual school, assisting the English teachers. The most lasting impression of these internships are the people that I met along the way and what they taught me. I love working with kids, so the summer camp was an amazing experience for me and a great way to practice my Spanish. The counselors were all very open and welcoming, and I made lasting friendships from working with them. Secondly, this was my first real professional experience teaching English. At first it was challenging for me, but after working with the professors at the institute and the teachers at the school, I was able to learn from their teaching strategies. Now, I have a much better idea how to teach English at varying levels and how to approach teaching difficult topics. All of my students were open to learning and very motivated, and listening to what was difficult for them made me understand how to be a more effective teacher. Using the skills I learned from my experiences with Connect-123, I am now teaching English in Chile.
Internships in Buenos Aires
Hubert Smith
Last spring, I spent three months living in Buenos Aires, Argentina and interning at a local hospital through the program, Connect-123. Luckily, I had already been accepted to medical school so after I graduated from college, I decided to take a gap year to travel and work in international medical settings. During my time in Buenos Aires, I completed a twelve-week internship with the department of oncology. Although I was assigned to the oncology department, I was able to rotate through and observe clinicians in various hospital departments, including, intensive care, coronary care unit, traumatology, gynecology, dermatology and surgery. Additionally, I had the opportunity to assist technicians with operating a 12-lead EKG monitor, attend and observe patient consultations consisting of casting, Pap smears, pre/post-operation check-ups, and other basic services. This experience taught me a lot about the health care system in Argentina and was a great way for me to improve my Spanish. I arrived in Argentina with basic Spanish skills and left as an intermediate speaker. Most weeks, I would go to the hospital for four hours in the morning and then spend three afternoons a week at a Spanish school. I was able to live in a large, shared apartment in the beautiful and lively neighborhood of Palermo. I lived with five other foreign exchange students and one Argentine from Salta. My roommates and I spent most of our free time exploring all the amazing cultural and social aspects of Buenos Aires. The staff at the hospital was also very lenient about allowing me to take time off so I was able to do a lot of traveling around Argentina and Uruguay. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone interested in travel, learning Spanish, and medicine. The program is really well run and organized. The local Connect-123 representative is really friendly and always available to help. Overall, I had a wonderful experience with Connect-123 and I absolutely loved Argentina.
Internships in Buenos Aires
Ben Waters
Getting to live two months in the middle of Buenos Aires has been one of the most remarkable experiences in my life and I can’t imagine how it would have turned out without the guidance of Connect-123. I decided to take a gap year between my senior year of high school and freshman year of college. Initially I was overwhelmed by the amount of time I had just opened up for my year and was unsure how I would spend my year. After days of research and months of planning I had my year mapped out and had been fortunate enough to get accepted for an internship set up through Connect-123 in Buenos Aires for the last leg of my journey. When I arrived in Argentina I was greeted by a very friendly driver who took me from the airport to the apartment that I would be spending the next two months living in. When we reached the apartment, which was located in the beautiful neighborhood of Recoleta, I met the owner of the apartment and was shown around what was a very nice complex and had full accommodations, I couldn’t be happier. The next day I met the Connect-123 Program Coordinator, who is full of knowledge about the city and advice on how to adjust to the Argentinian lifestyle. We also discussed the internship I would be beginning shorty at a school about 20 minutes’ walk from the apartment. Connect-123 also does a great job of finding activates to help their members experience parts of the city and culture that one would normally not experience. My internship was the highlight of my time in Argentina. I had the opportunity to work with children ages 7-14 as a athletics assistant and I had a great time doing it. The kids all were enrolled in English classes and enjoyed practicing their English with me as I practiced my Spanish. The other members of the staff were all extremely friendly and made an effort to include me in their group and conversations. At the end of the internship I was sad to say goodbye to the many good friends I had made during my time in Argentina but still stay in contact with many of them, another perk of working with Connect-123 Connect-123 was also very helpful in helping me travel to other parts of the country. With their help I was able to travel to Patagonia and Salta both of which were amazing experiences.
Internships in Buenos Aires
Lisa Bellmann
My dream of living and working abroad came true when I stayed in Dublin for three months. Connect-123 was a huge help during the whole time. The application process was very easy and fast and everyone involved was really friendly. They helped finding a great internship for me – I worked in an aquarium in a customer-facing role. This really helped improving my English and was a very interesting way of gaining new skills in the field of education. I was involved in the work with children and special-needs groups and learned a lot about marine life and conservation. Apart from this I loved discovering Dublin and the rest of Ireland. Connect-123 also organized social events which took place almost every week (like hiking, going on daytrips or just meeting in a restaurant or for a few pints!) and helped with housing, transportation and any question about the city itself. All in all, I can say that Connect did an amazing job and helped me make the most out of my time in Ireland. I will never forget my time on this beautiful island and the friends I met here.
Internships in Dublin
Daniel Pawelski
Hola! My name is Danny, and this past summer I spent 9 weeks in beautiful Barcelona working for a start-up company. This wasn’t my first time abroad, but it was my first time studying abroad and hopefully won’t be my last. This was by far the most unique and educational experience I’ve ever had. I got to fully immerse myself in a new culture for 2 months and I was very proud to call myself a local of Barcelona. I even got to travel to some neighboring countries like Switzerland and The Netherlands during my time in Spain, which was unforgettable. I made a number of acquaintances in Spain whom I consider dear friends and I truly learned more about a new part of the world than I ever thought I would, or could.
Internships in Barcelona
Audrey Gozali
My time in Buenos Aires was one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I had never travelled outside the country alone before coming to Buenos Aires, and Connect-123 gave me all the support I needed to thrive in this vibrant city. From setting me up at a home away from home to helping me navigate the busy streets, Connect-123 gave me the foundation for the incredible life I cultivated in Argentina for two months. Coming to Buenos Aires, there was definitely a steep learning curve in regards to the dialect spoken here, but within a couple weeks, I was able to communicate successfully with the porteños. As I have been studying Spanish for years and have continued my studies in college, learning to adapt to the speaking style of the Argentines felt like an unbelievable accomplishment. Moreover, the work I did at my internship was so rewarding. I worked on a joint project between two environmentally-focused NGOs, where I helped design and plan the construction of one of Argentina’s first natural swimming pools. While the majority of my research focused on the environment close to Buenos Aires, through my co-workers I learned a lot about the progress in the Green movement in various regions of Argentina and South America. From these two short months in Buenos Aires, I gained confidence in my Spanish-speaking abilities, enriched myself with the Argentine culture, and achieved more than I thought possible with my internship.
Internships in Buenos Aires
Carly Henderson
My internship in Cape Town was an unforgettable experience. Connect-123 did a great job of matching me to an internship which suited my skills and interests which helped me slot in straight away with my co-workers. I attended weekly antibiotic stewardship ward rounds in adult burns, medical and surgical ICU and also paediatric ICU and had a number of projects to work on keeping me busy during my internship. The experience has helped me realise that whilst there are often financial constraints associated with healthcare, I have witnessed first-hand, that the right attitude goes a long way towards safeguarding the patients, even in low resource settings. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and feel inspired to seek improvements through innovation however small they may seem. The team and other participants at Connect-123 are extremely sociable and which really made sure I got the most out of my internship, both at work and in my spare time. Cape Town completely took me by surprise and exceeded all expectations with its beauty, adventure and culture. There are countless fun things to do, whatever your interests or budget. The more I learned about the city, the more I fell in love with it and the experience will stay with me forever.
Internships in Cape Town
Isabella Sheehan
Having the opportunity to live in Barcelona for three months was nothing short of a dream. The things I learned both in and out of my internship will last a lifetime, and I owe a large part of that to Connect-123. From the very beginning, the Connect-123 team helped me outline my goals and ensured that I would receive an experience that aligned with my interests. Any questions that I had were quickly answered, and anything I was apprehensive about was reassured. Just a few short weeks after I began the application process I had secured an interview with an international public relations agency, where I went on to intern this past summer. At the agency I was quickly integrated into the team and given numerous projects. I worked right alongside my colleagues and was never treated as an outsider. I sat in on brainstorming sessions, and listened in on conference calls. I wrote, edited, pitched, and researched, sometimes all in one day. I have no doubt that my short time with the company will lead to a prosperous future. Before I had even finished I was offered a paid internship back home in the States, where I’ll work throughout my senior year of college. As for life in Barcelona…it’s hard to even put it into words. The friendships, the food, the culture, I felt as if everyday were an adventure. There’s a pulse that vibrates throughout the city and makes it come to life. Although it took awhile to adjust to the Spanish lifestyle, it didn’t take long before Barcelona felt like home. In the end, the hardest part of my entire experience was leaving. I wouldn’t trade my time in Barcelona for the world. I owe a lot to Connect-123, and I encourage all who have the opportunity to take a chance and apply. You won’t regret it.
Internships in Barcelona
Darlene Washington
Connect-123 created an amazing opportunity for me. I had the opportunity to spend 3 months in Buenos Aires doing things that I love. I did an internship at a public hospital, shadowing doctors. I had the opportunity to work in pediatrics, neonatology, and obstetrics. I was able to sit in on surgeries and get hands on experience with certain patients. Connect-123 provided me with the opportunity to experience what my career will be like in the future. I also had the chance to build my Spanish vocabulary and fluency. I built friendships with amazing people and learned interesting things about their culture. Going to Buenos Aires was a blessing for me and it was an experience I will never forget.
Internships in Buenos Aires
Lucy Morton
It’s difficult to sum up my two month experience in Cape Town without using the typical words amazing and unforgettable. Seriously, Cape Town is a beauty! As part of my 3 year scientist training programme in the UK, I was required to undertake a placement within a different field of healthcare in order to gain experience in a new environment. I love travelling and living abroad, and have always wanted to visit South Africa. Connect-123 provided an easy way for me to find an internship programme to fulfill the requirements of my training programme back home. Right from my initial enquiries they were so helpful and willing to find the perfect internship for me. They were able to match me to a placement focused upon infectious disease management and control, which was perfectly suited to my interests. Throughout my time they ensured that everything was going to plan and that I was enjoying it. Plus, they are all so friendly and helpful about the best things to do in the city! Although it’s possible to find an internship independently, Connect-123 allows you to meet and live with other interns, which is the best part about it! I have so many amazing memories from Cape Town and met a brilliant group of people to share my experiences with. I was able to go on insane adventures that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do if I completed an internship in the UK – e.g. shark cage diving, safari in Kruger National Park, abseiling Table Mountain! Cape Town is seriously the perfect place to intern – so many things to see/do, amazing food and of course so many wineries to visit!
Internships in Cape Town
Sara Fahlmark
During my time in Dublin, I interned at an organization working with at-risk inner city Dublin kids. I worked on a program that focuses on keeping kids/youth from entering the justice system, or to keep them from reoffending. I was able to learn so many skills, and put my knowledge of things I’ve learned in college into practice. Connect-123 was extremely helpful in placing me in my internship and connecting me with support all around Dublin and within my intern host organization. Although I already knew people in Dublin, Connect-123 did an excellent job at bringing the interns together and organizing trips. The accommodation was amazing and a great location. I would highly recommend other college students to intern with Connect-123.
Internships in Dublin
Olivia Rogers
In five weeks Buenos Aires became the place in my dreams to the place of my dreams. Almost everyone asked me when I was here why I chose Buenos Aires, why I chose Argentina and I can't describe it, it just had this draw that made me want to go there so badly. Connect-123 allowed me to leave my bubble of Boulder, Colorado and experience one of the most stunning places I have ever been. It was also the fastest 5 weeks of my life and if I could do it over I would stay for as long as I could, many many months. I participated in a medical internship as an 18 year old who hadn’t even started college (so no medical training whatsoever). I worked at a public hospital which opened my eyes to a different type of medicine, more creative than what I was used to. I learned so much about the culture surrounding health and medicine from the doctors I worked with and it added to my want to pursue medicine. I was able to participate in gynecology, orthopedics, emergency, trauma, surgery, dermatology and oncology. I had the chance to bandage, remove bandages, cut off casts, help assist the patient after surgery, help put in catheters and interact with the patients in every other section. The surgeries I had the chance to observe were the removal of several tumors: colon and cervical, the implantation of a pacemaker, the amputation of toes and removal of parts of the colon. All the doctors were patient with me, always helping me to understand, practice my Spanish and engage with what was happening. My living situation was perfect, I couldn’t have asked for better and I became very close with many of my roommates. My house was unique in the way that I had people living with me from all over the world as well as people who were native to Argentina. There were people from Spain, Holland, France, Amsterdam, Scotland and the United States which was a very cool experience from the mix of cultures and backgrounds. I was taught how to play chess, had many delicious asados, had people constantly helping my Spanish, drank mate often and made many friends that I still talk with. My living situation was also incredible because of the location which made it easy to access the train, subway and bus system to get basically anywhere in Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires is also an incredible city and I was so lucky to have the time I did to barely graze what the city holds. Several of my highlights were my day trips to Tigre, visiting the Malba, eating empanadas and going to an amazing bar called Florería Atlántico. Connect-123 definitely helps out by providing activities to help you experience the best of the city. One experience that Connect-123 helped me participate in was Fuerza Bruta which I loved! In Buenos Aires, obviously the primary language is Spanish and if you want to become more fluent and more comfortable then it is an excellent place to do so! My Spanish improved so much and almost everyone in the city understands that you are learning and are appreciative that you are trying. (So if you are worried about the language barriers don’t be! Yes, it is hard and sometimes you will be frustrated but it gets easier). All in all I couldn’t have asked for a better experience: throughout all parts - my internship, my living situation, how Connect-123 assisted me throughout it all and the culture and city of Buenos Aires.
Internships in Buenos Aires
