Mia Sanchez

Mia studies Pre-Education and Social Transformation at UCLA in the United States. She joined VAC in June 2026 and completed an education internship with South African community and primary education organizations, where she gained hands-on classroom experience, built relationships with students, and learned how teachers support different learning and behavioral needs within the communities they serve.

I chose Cape Town because I wanted to experience a different culture while also gaining hands-on experience in education through an internship. What I loved most was being able to experience everyday life here, not just as a tourist, and getting to know the students and teachers at my site.

One of my main goals was to gain a better understanding of education outside of the United States and learn how a school serves its community. I enjoyed observing the Grade 1 classroom, seeing how teachers managed different learning and behavioral needs, and learning from the teachers about their experiences. I also enjoyed having conversations with teachers about the school, its students, and some of the challenges the community faces.

My role allowed me to assist in the classroom, build relationships with students, and learn from the teachers about the community they serve. My biggest highlight was my time at the school, especially seeing how the teachers connected with their students and learning about the community firsthand.

I stayed for about eight weeks, and I would recommend that anyone coming for an internship stay for at least 6–8 weeks so they have enough time to adjust and really experience the culture. I would also recommend coming to Cape Town with an open mind and being willing to step outside of your comfort zone, because the experience can be very different from what you are used to. Give yourself time to adjust to the new environment and don’t feel like you have to figure everything out immediately.

I’m most grateful to the VAC staff and the weekly activities because they made adjusting to a new country much easier and gave me opportunities to experience parts of Cape Town that I probably would not have found on my own.