Evan Collins

Evan Collins, from Massachusetts, USA, participated in a sports marketing internship through the VACorps gap year program from January – March 2025.

I came to Cape Town with sky-high expectations—and somehow, this city still managed to exceed them. Every day, I found myself asking, “What should I try today?” and there was never a shortage of answers. Few places in the world offer the same richness of opportunity as Cape Town does. Whether natural, cultural, or social, this city truly has something for everyone.

Looking back on my time in the program, I’ve made lifelong friends and developed essential life skills. From meaningful personal connections to unforgettable experiences, Cape Town and VACorps gave me everything I hoped for—and so much more. I came into this internship wanting to push my comfort zone, and that’s exactly what I did. Everything I took on at my internship was new to me, which challenged me to sharpen my problem-solving skills and trust myself. I’m especially proud of the work I did with the camera—it was my first time using anything other than an iPhone! I figured out a simple system for transferring photos and quickly learned what kinds of images would perform well on social media. It was also incredibly rewarding!