Julia Metzendorf

Julia Metzendorf, from Connecticut, USA, participated in a commercial real estate internship through the VACorps gap year program from January – March 2025. She will be attending Vanderbilt University starting in September of 2025.

One of my main goals for my internship was to experience what it is actually like to work in a corporate office, and my time in Cape Town gave me exactly that opportunity. Working in commercial real estate introduced me to a professional environment before I started university, and I left feeling much more prepared for that next stage.

One of the things I appreciated was that the team was open to letting me explore different aspects of the business. If there was a meeting I wanted to sit in on or a site I was interested in visiting, I could ask. I learned that being proactive and showing an interest in how different parts of the organisation work can make a big difference to what you get from an internship.

I also really enjoyed the cultural exchange that came from working closely with my colleagues every day. Being part of a South African workplace gave me an experience I could not have had by simply visiting Cape Town, and it taught me a lot about working with people from different backgrounds.

Outside of work, I completely fell in love with Cape Town. The landscape, the people and the friendships I made turned it into a second home for me. VAC gave me the support I needed while still allowing me to build my own life here, and I will always be grateful that I chose to spend these months in Cape Town.

I came here hoping to gain some professional experience before starting school. I left with that experience, greater confidence about entering a professional environment, and friendships and memories that I know I will carry with me for a very long time.