Drew joined the VACorps program in February 2022 as part of his GAP year, and participated in an internship at a local surfboard manufacturing company. He attends University of Virginia and is majoring in economics at the UVA college of Arts and Sciences.
“I chose to come to Cape Town after volunteering in the greater Kruger area a few months prior. The people I met there were very adamant that I visit Cape Town, so I decided to head there next! The best part of interning in Cape Town was the relationships I was able to make with my co workers. The majority of them were immigrants from other countries in Africa, so I loved getting to learn about their experiences. I also enjoyed the friendly nature of the people there, and found myself consistently walking around with a smile from daily interactions I would have. I learned that the Cape Town version of myself is one of my favorites, and I will miss it here dearly. Table Mountain is deserving of being one of the 7 natural wonders of the world, and inside the park was where I was happiest in Cape Town. I had some truly remarkable hikes with friends I made here that I will never forget. I will miss the friends I’ve made and the unique hybridization of mountain, forest, ocean, and city that is unparalleled. I stayed here for 7 weeks, and if it were not for an upcoming trip to Nepal, I would surely be extending. I really hope to come back to this place, and deepen my understanding for the beauty in the people and land. So I would advise people to stay for as long as possible, especially if they are coming for the summertime. I would say that for someone who is fully fluent in English, CT is very easy to navigate and there is not much preparation needed. And the VACorps staff were amazing throughout the whole process. They assisted me when I had COVID, and although I didn’t need much from them, it was great knowing that I could rely on them if need be. I’m most grateful to the VAC program for bringing together such an amazing group of interns. I hope to remain friends with many of these people.”
Meet our most recent VACorps program alumni:
Laila Wheeler, California, USA (2023)
Laila Wheeler is studying Public Affairs, Education, and Sociology at the University of California Los Angeles. She participated in a human rights internship from June - August of 2023. "Traveling to Cape Town was genuinely [...]
Innogen Naylor, Vermont, USA (2023)
Innogen joined the VACorps Program as part of her Gap Year in January 2023 and participated in an internship at a local school for learners from Zimbabwe who are attempting to integrate into the South [...]
Avital Strauss, Illinois, USA (2023)
Avital joined the VACorps PRogram as part of her Gap Year in January 2023 and participated in an internship at an NGO that supports and serves underprivileged communities in one of Cape Town's townships. [...]
William Monkarsh, California, USA (2023)
Will joined the VACorps Program in January 2023, as part of his GAP year, and participated in an internship at an eco-tourism company in Cape Town. "My experience with VAC has definitely been life-changing. [...]
Clancy Erickson, North Carolina, USA (2022)
Clancy recently completed her BA in Human Services Studies at Elon University. She joined the VACorps program in September 2022, and participate in an internship at an NGO that supports refugees in Cape Town. [...]
Dylan DeRosa, New York, USA (2023)
Dylan joined the VACorps program in January 2023 as part of his Gap Year and participated in a human rights law internship. "Cape Town and the VACorps have provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and experience [...]
