Jace Tappan

Jace studies Government and International Politics at George Mason University in the United States. He joined VAC in May 2026 and completed a government and policy internship with a South African legal services organization, where he gained real-world experience supporting access to free legal assistance, working directly with clients, assisting with administrative work and case files, and developing his understanding of the South African legal system.

I chose Cape Town for my place to intern abroad because I have been interested in South Africa and its history for a very long time. Additionally, because I am African American, I have always wanted to go to Africa and experience the land my ancestors were taken from. 

I decided to do my internship because I wanted to get real-world experience in my field as well as help people in need. In my internship, I worked in a legal clearing house helping to connect people needing free legal assistance with lawyers able to provide such assistance. In my time there, I became familiar with the legal system of South Africa and significantly bolstered my skills in administrative work and with people in general, making it a great experience overall.

My role was to help with administrative work. I helped clients fill out paperwork and worked on their files. One of the personal goals I reached during my internship was becoming more independent and gaining real-world experience. I feel really good now that I have worked a real job in my field. My advice for future interns is to make sure you are good with people and are able to focus for long periods of time. This internship is valuable experience, but it feels like a real job. You are not just shadowing people, and there is a lot of reading and writing.

I really appreciated the support and knowing I could call VAC staff if I needed anything, as well as the weekly activities and Culture Series. The orientation activities were the best and definitely gave me some positive memories I will never forget. The Friday meetups and Monday Culture Series were also super fun and enjoyable.