Brianna Ozomaro

Brianna studies pre-Computational Systems and Biology at UCLA. She joined VAC in June 2026 and completed an internship with a South African public health research organization, where she gained practical experience in sexual and reproductive health research, survey administration and research data management.

I chose Cape Town because I wanted to experience living somewhere completely different while also getting real work experience. I didn’t want to just travel somewhere for a few weeks; I wanted to actually live here, work, and experience what everyday life was like. Looking back, I’m so glad I chose Cape Town because it ended up being so much more than I expected.

I absolutely loved my internship. I got to work on sexual and reproductive health research, help with REDCap surveys and data, administer surveys, and see some of the clinical side of the work. One of my favorite experiences was getting to observe a nurse take blood samples for an HIV study. It was really rewarding to see how the work I was helping with connected to actual patients and public health.

One of my main goals was to gain experience in clinical research and better understand how research connects to public health and patient care. I contributed to sexual and reproductive health and STI research, helped design and manage REDCap surveys, administered surveys in person, and worked on data cleaning. I especially enjoyed seeing how research is carried out beyond the classroom and learning from people who work directly in the field.

My experience became much more hands-on once I communicated with my supervisors about the areas I was interested in and asked how I could contribute more directly. I would tell future interns to go in willing to ask questions and take initiative. It is also important to be flexible because the pace of research can vary, and there may be quieter periods when you have to look for ways to get involved.

One of my favorite parts of the whole experience was simply living in Cape Town. I genuinely tell everyone that Cape Town is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. The scenery, the people, the food, and just the feeling of being here made me feel so at home. By the end, I had gotten so comfortable here and felt like I had built a life for myself.

I also loved meeting other interns through VAC, especially people from schools that I would never have met otherwise. It was really fun hearing about everyone’s internships and having people to explore Cape Town with. The weekly activities and Culture Series made that really easy, and some of the people I met through the program ended up being a huge part of my experience.

I genuinely loved the VAC staff and felt so comfortable with them. They were incredibly welcoming from the beginning, and I never felt uncomfortable asking questions or reaching out when I needed something. Being so far from home could have been intimidating, but having people here that I knew I could rely on made such a difference.

I stayed for about two months, and I think that was a great amount of time because I had enough time to settle into my internship and actually feel like I was living in Cape Town instead of just visiting. My biggest advice for future interns is to come with an open mind, give yourself time to adjust, and take advantage of everything the program and the city have to offer.

I’m extremely sad to leave. I feel like I found a second home in Cape Town, and I know I’m going to be talking about this experience for a very long time.