Kayla Bense – North Dekota, USA (2019)

Kayla is studying mechanical engineering at the University of North Dakota. She joined the VACorps Program in July 2019 and participated in an Engineering Internship at a private company that specializes in producing battery packs. 

“As someone who is staying here for about 7-8 weeks, I would recommend that amount of time to spend here. With this amount of time I was able to see everything I wanted to, but still having a few relaxation days or bad weather days. I think what really makes the VAC so great is the people you are able to meet the first week, both the staff and other interns. When I think of Cape Town, I not only think of the city and beautiful mountains, but I also think of the amazing people I met here. They are what makes the truly extraordinary. One tip I would give to anyone coming is to be open-minded about everything; be open the change and different cultures because you will learn so much more.

At my internship, I learned a lot and was thrown into things that I wasn’t expecting. I learned for most of the internships, if you aren’t actively looking for what you can do or being assertive about wanting to help, then you are not going to learn, do or enjoy your time. I recommend that interns actively look for things to do or ask when they don’t have things to do, even if they just get thrown in without much knowledge or assistance. It makes the experience so much better and you will learn so much faster than just sitting around watching.”