Reviews

Karina Taveras

My child life practicum in Cape Town, South Africa was truly a life-changing experience. As an aspiring culturally competent professional, when I was provided the opportunity to complete my practicum abroad, I didn’t think twice! Throughout the month, I observed our preceptors provide procedural support and developmentally appropriate medical and therapeutic play in the hospital setting. Then, I was able to use the tools I learned through observation to implement those practices on my own. I was able to fine-tune my clinical skills as a child life student and expand my knowledge working with a culturally diverse population. Upon returning back home, I feel that much more confident in myself as a future child life specialist due to the unique experiences that Cape Town offered me. We also had plenty of free time to explore the beautiful city that is Cape Town! There is so much to do and see that will make you fall in love with South Africa. Thank you Connect-123 for this incredible opportunity! I HIGHLY recommend this program to child life students! It will be one of the best decisions of your life!

Sarah Tatchi

My child life experience in Cape Town, South Africa was amazing! When I was given the opportunity to do my practicum aboard I didn't think twice, I took the opportunity right away. Connect-123 assisted in helping me gain knowledge on my career choice as a future child life specialist. I visited several children's hospitals and had the opportunity to observe and learn from experienced child life specialist. Through observations, I learned how play is a universal language as well as the importance of therapeutic/medical play and procedure preparations. The knowledge I had gained from observations gave me the opportunity to put what I had learned into practice when working with children at hospitals. Being able to solve those situations helped me step out of my comfort zone; it made me grow as an individual during my stay in Cape Town. It made me realize I can achieve anything I put my mind to. Connect-123 gave me the chance to go aboard and expand on something I am passionate about. I feel if I hadn't taken that opportunity, I won't be where I am today. When an opportunity is presented to you, take it because you don't know how it is going to change you as an individual. Thank you Connect-123 for letting me grow.  

Emily Heiser

I will always look back on my time in Cape Town as a very special time in my life, and I owe it all to Connect-123! I had just graduated and wanted to travel abroad somewhere for a while but also build up my experience in my studied field. I heard good things about Connect-123 from my friend and decided to apply. The people at Connect-123 were very responsive during the whole process of applying and finding me an internship. They couldn’t have picked a better placement for me! My internship gave me real-life experience that will help me in future jobs and just in life in general. Connect-123 also held very fun and exciting events for the other interns which gave us all a chance to get to know each other and explore other things in South Africa. The people in this program have become some of my very best friends. I treasure the people I have met through Connect-123 and my internship.

Allysa Miller

After graduating I wanted to travel and explore the world while gaining experience in my field of psychology. I decided the best way to do so was through an internship. After doing extensive research I found Connect-123 and they helped link me with the perfect internship opportunity working for an NPO in Cape Town. I worked with refugees, asylum seekers, and South African citizens helping them find job opportunities and build professional skills. I loved every minute of my time in Cape Town. I was able to gain so much experience in my field while obtaining life experiences that I only dreamt of having. I don’t believe words can express the love I have gained for South Africa. It is my home away from home and I am determined to return to Cape Town again one day. I believe Connect-123 was the ultimate reason that my experience was so amazing. Because of this program, I have made life-long friends through the interns that were also on the Connect-123 program, as well as members in the Cape Town community. Thank you to Carla, Robyn, Saskia, and Kate for giving me the best experience of my life!

Mallory Slavin

I spent three months interning in Cape Town, South Africa, and it will forever be some of the best months of my life. I gained valuable experience in my field while working for a human rights organization and in the South African Parliament, all while experiencing the unique culture of South Africa and making lifelong friends! Looking for internships is hard, and I didn’t even know where to start after deciding on Cape Town. Thankfully, Connect-123 was there throughout the entire process! Robyn and the crew at Connect-123 helped me find the perfect internship. They also set up my housing before I arrived and met with me when I got to Cape Town to ensure I was settling in! They were always just a call away if I needed anything, and while I never had a single issue during my three months in Cape Town, knowing that they were there if anything should go wrong was reassuring. Connect-123 also set up different events and excursions for all of the interns which was a great way to experience new and unique things that South Africa had to offer. I wouldn’t trade my months in Cape Town for anything, and I’m glad I now have a home away from home in my favorite city in the world!

Marissa McNamara

I spent my internship in Cape Town, South Africa. It was the most amazing three months! I was able to gain experience in my field while experiencing a beautiful new country at the same time. I was able to create many new friendships internationally that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Connect-123 did an amazing job partnering me with a non-profit that fit my career interests perfectly. They not only helped with finding me an internship but also with housing, travel needs, and anything else that I needed while I was abroad. This experience not only taught me a lot about future career goals, but I also learned a lot about a different culture.

Melanie Yeisley

My Child Life Practicum in Cape Town, South Africa was unmatched to any traditional practicum in the United States. Under the supervision of a CCLS, I was given the autonomy to practice hands-on therapeutic interventions and procedural preparation to meet the diverse psychosocial needs of hospitalized children and their families. I was able to collaborate with other practicum students for ideas, and work together to do activities at bedside and in play areas that incorporated the whole family unit. These unique opportunities allowed me to work with other healthcare professionals and interact with children with a variety of diagnoses. Both professionally and personally, I gained cross-cultural competence that will translate in all areas of my life. Additionally, we were able to see how Child Life is utilized in alternative settings, and we were also given ample time to explore South Africa on our own personal time. I have gained friendships within my practicum group and other students through Connect-123 that I will forever cherish. I couldn't have asked for a better practicum experience and I feel more than prepared for my Child Life internship. My Child Life Practicum in Cape Town, South Africa has been one of my most favorite and best experiences of my life!

Joseph Smithey

My time with Connect-123 in Cape Town, South Africa was amazing. The organization set me up with a great internship in filmmaking where I was able to learn a lot and gain valuable experience with a company that has been successful in the industry for years. The two months I spent in Cape Town were two of the best months of my life and I cannot wait to go back. From the connections I made to everything that I saw and did both at work and outside of it, I was able to accomplish all that I went there for and more. Thank you to the folks at Connect-123 for this opportunity! I will never forget it.

Caroline Florence

I had an incredible experience in South Africa that I will never forget. Connect-123 provided exciting excursions that really allowed my classmates and me to explore all that Cape Town has to offer. My internship at a nonprofit institute dedicated to environmental conservation and education taught me about how sustainable development can aid in economic development. It was inspiring to work with people who care so much about these important issues and I am excited to follow this example in the US. Thank you Connect-123 for this amazing opportunity!

Will Hardage

Connect-123 is so much more than a typical third-party internship provider. Behind the forms, emails, and website, there are extraordinary people, who foster such a respectful, warm, and genuine culture. Having a resilient and qualified support network is essential for a successful abroad experience, and the staff at Connect-123 are willing to go out of their way for you to reach your goals and happiness. While having a great internship was important to me, the support, flexibility, and hospitality offered by Connect-123’s Cape Town team was seemingly priceless.

Sharan Chawla

Connect-123 not only ‘connected’ me to an incredible professional opportunity, but also to amazing people in Cape Town. I can’t emphasize how important this was during my time in Cape Town. I spoke with Robyn on the phone early on, and she was spot on in finding the right opportunity at a media-based NGO that uses documentary-style filmmaking to catalyze change on a global level. Robyn set up an interview with the host organization, and the rest is history! I was able to learn film editing, work on digital marketing projects, build a proposal to incubate small businesses in townships around Cape Town, and form strong relationships with everyone at my workplace. Through Connect-123, it was also a blast having a really fun group of people to explore Cape Town with. Having fellow Connectors to go on hikes, go ziplining, or grab a bite out late at night made a world of a difference to my experience in Cape Town. Saskia and Robyn made me feel at home, put me in touch with the right people, set up local events for us to get to know Cape Town (definitely recommend all the amazing hikes), and I’m happy to now, a year later, call them my friends, and call Cape Town my home away from home!

Ali Burns

August 2018 will forever be one of my favorite months! Not only because I got to spend it in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa; but also, because I was able to spend it doing what I love most - working with children. During my Child Life Practicum, I observed an experienced Certified Child Life Specialist within a prominent Children’s Hospital. I was able to grow as a Child Life student, learn from her knowledge, and invaluable advice; while independently performing procedural preparation, and implementing developmentally appropriate activities for children of all ages. I also experienced the power of play as a universal language and gained a better overall understanding of the purpose behind Child Life in an international setting. Not only was I able to provide Child Life services for hospitalized children, but I also made life long friends and we were able to experience the beauty of Cape Town. During our free time, we hiked mountains, went sightseeing, went SKYDIVING, and thanks to Connect-123, we were able to go on a once in a lifetime safari right in the heart of Africa! If you are ever presented with an opportunity to intern or study abroad, my advice to you is to GO FOR IT! Before I left on this journey, I was expecting to make an impact and possibly change lives in Cape Town, but it turns out, the people of South Africa changed mine.

Nicholas Prince Asaga

Just like jobs, looking for an internship or volunteering project is increasingly becoming very difficult. Sometimes people have their applications rejected, not because they are not competent enough, but because their application documents lack vital make or break elements with regards to format and approach. That is where Connect-123 comes to the rescue! Connect-123, believing everyone deserves an opportunity, helped me get the perfect internship I was looking for. The whole process from application to acceptance was meticulously handled and tailor-made. Although I arrived slightly late in Cape Town for the internship, I was still given an exclusive orientation about the programme and my new city. The Connect-123 accommodation facilities provided me with a very safe and comfortable abode during my time in Cape Town. But its get even better. Connect-123 frequently organized fun activities such as dinners, movies, picnics, snorkelling, city and township tours, safari, hiking, and more. And when you get to do all these in a city like Cape Town, the experience is unique. I can tell you for sure that what you experience in Cape Town, makes Monaco and Ibiza look basic! In addition, working close to Parliament in the city centre helped immersed me fully into the typical Capetonian lifestyle. I also got to learn from fellow Connect-123 interns from various countries and backgrounds. As a final year student at the time, and looking forward to a masters in International Relations, I needed an internship that would give me a formal introduction into international law and international relations. I gained so much exposure and knowledge from my placement which came in handy during my Master's applications. Today I have been accepted to a masters programme at the Geneva School of Diplomacy largely thanks to the opportunity Connect-123 gave me. It built my confidence and knowledge at work, and helped me excel in my application essay and interview. Whether you're looking to explore a different country, build your resume, gain career advice or direction or establish strong professional, academic and social networks, Connect-123 is here to help you. Ps: Thanks to an amazing Programme Supervisor, Saskia Schiel, I would rate my experience 15 out of ten. It means even if you don't meet Saskia or any of her other equally amazing colleagues, you are still guaranteed of a 10 out of 10 experience, so you still win either way. Their wonderful demeanor and round the clock involvement and concern about our well being made me feel at home away from home.

Catherine Radford

My Child Life Practicum experience in Cape Town, South Africa was beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I started my adventure to Cape Town by myself, did not know a single person in the Child Life program, and said yes to living in a country I had never been to before. It sounded crazy, but if you ever get this type of opportunity for yourself, DO IT! My overall experience was incredible, challenging, humbling, joyful, pushed me out of comfort zones, and continued to deepen my passion and love to become a Child Life Specialist. My time here allowed me to support, educate, and advocate for children and families as they coped with their hospital experience in ways I would have never dreamed of being able to! The skill sets provided by the program were beneficial to both my professional and educational career. My experience allowed me to gain a cultural understanding of play as a universal language, learn to break down barriers, adapt to another cultures healthcare system, and witness coursework come to life during daily engagements. Cape Town gave me the opportunity to love and be loved by each and every child, family, staff member, and new friend I met, while also getting to do what I love. I am forever thankful for the ways I was able to learn and grow in South Africa, but most of all I am thankful for all the people who shared their heart and home with me.

Preena Mand

Working, studying, and even living in a foreign country can be very stressful when you don’t know anyone there, but I am glad that I had Connect-123 to help me. From the get-go, they were very helpful and always an email away to help answer any questions or concerns I had and eased my worries such that when I arrived, I knew exactly what to expect. From the housing to the internship placement my Connect-123 team member Carla was always there making sure that I was comfortable and got everything that I wanted out of my experience. She really heard what I wanted in my placement and delivered! Connect-123 gave me the opportunity to do an internship in South Africa at the University of Cape Town! I was right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city where there was much to learn and see and I was not too far from the place I was renting. I had wanted to do an internship that would allow me to experience a new perspective on environmental sustainability and Connect-123 gave me an opportunity to do so right on campus. I had the advantage of surrounding myself with peers with whom I made life-long connections. I had the luxury of working alongside a researcher and directly contributing to his research and because I was on campus, I had the added benefit of meeting and volunteering for field work with different members of the faculty, which included people from all around the world that came to the university to expand on their research. The environmental sustainability aspect of this project was that by studying and learning more about birds and their behaviours we can put forward our research to help urban planners to build sustainably without putting any danger or stress on the local bird populations. This was an incredible opportunity that would have been next to impossible to find back home. I would like to thank Connect-123 for finding me an incredible internship that I will treasure for years to come. I left the program with a great experience, made incredible friends, learned lots of practical research and field skills, and made many new professional connections that will help me in my professional future. So, thank you Connect-123!

Sarah Rost

My medical and public health internship in Cape Town and my work in palliative care at a public hospital taught me to live life to fullest and take advantage of every opportunity available to me. Through this experience, I discovered both my love of traveling and healthcare. Working in palliative care taught me the importance of human interaction in medicine, and for that, I will always be grateful to my host organization. This was by far one of my favorite summers ever, and I hope I can return to this beautiful city someday! I want to thank Connect-123 for the experience of a lifetime in South Africa. I absolutely loved living and working in Cape Town, and will really miss this home away from home.

Austin Neal

My medical internship in Cape Town in physical rehabilitation helped open my eyes to different cultures, ways of living, the struggles that people go through, and how resilient people are. The best way to learn is via experience, and that is exactly what I got. At the hospital, I was able to learn the sorts of things you aren’t taught in books. I observed therapy sessions and I got to work with a group of colleagues who, over the course of my internship, became friends. I observed and shadowed occupational therapists and physiotherapists as they treated stroke victims, people with disabilities and those with broken bones. Cape Town was an amazing experience that I will never forget. I met great people here and I feel like it has helped me grow in ways that I can’t put into words. Cape Town will forever have a piece of my heart.

Faizan Rai

Culture, politics, and nature. It is fair to say that my time in Cape Town can be characterized by these three defining features, along with much more. Having the opportunity to live, work and holiday in Cape Town exposed me to a whole new way of life, which is something I looked forward to before coming here. The city and indeed the whole country is abundant in culture, with various beautiful languages being spoken all the time and music being played from all walks of life. The accepting nature of South Africans compels me to return, as I have made lasting friendships during my experience here. Another aspect of Cape Town I have loved is how history and politics has echoed all around me, always. As a student of International Relations, I was eager to learn how South Africa functions. Through visiting historically significant sites such as Robben Island and various museums commemorating South Africa’s history, I have developed a passion for South African affairs and I wish to play a part in the progressive ambitions it has for its future. What has struck me most is how, despite the turbulent past, the people of South Africa remain ambitious, forgiving and hopeful to create a free and just society. Finally, it is fair to say that Cape Town is the most beautiful city I have lived in. The stunning landscape of three beautiful mountains on one side and the jaw-dropping blue sea on the other, with a city of narrow streets and skyscrapers sandwiched in between made waking up at 7am every morning more than enjoyable, as every day provided me with a new experience. I can count myself extremely lucky with the opportunities I was provided during my internship. Working in government was the ideal internship for me and Connect-123 ensured I gained an internship I would be happy with. The highlight of my work experience was being able to travel around the country for work. During my travels to Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth, I have gained vital professional skills as well as vast exposure to South Africa as a nation. In summary, I must thank connect-123 for making Cape Town such a memorable experience and exposing me to South Africa, a country that I will surely return to.

Donald LeCompte

Chris Vandemark

It’s challenging to put into words the experience I had while in Cape Town, South Africa. From the amazing team at Connect-123 to the endless list of activities around the city, down to the entrepreneurship internship itself, I had the experience of a lifetime! I gained professional skills that I can apply going forward, along with cultural perspectives that I will not soon forget. Cape Town was the perfect environment for myself to mature as a young man, and I will forever be grateful to have the opportunity to travel there.