Julia Leikin
College Park, Maryland USA
2017

Julia participated in a marketing internship in Cape Town with VACorps in 2017.

“My four months in Cape Town has been the most incredible part of my life to date. In this short time, I have been immersed in a new culture, explored the most breathtaking nature, met beautiful people from all over the world, and truly grew immensely as a person. I am incredibly thankful for VACorps for so much of my experience here–from providing short but impactful glimpses into South African culture to creating an extensive international community for interns to call home in their time here.

“Making the decision to take a semester off of University to travel alone to South Africa was intimidating. It is hard to get an idea of what to expect before leaving, especially as a young person with little solo travel experience. The VACorps team was incredibly helpful and supportive in the months leading up to my departure; I only realized once I arrived how much weight they took off of my shoulders. After I was all settled and oriented, it was always nice to have the VACorps team (who quickly became friends) to provide support where needed and plan fun weekly activities that got the whole community out together.

“I am so sad that my time in Cape Town has come to an end, but also so thankful for the experience. After all of the research I did in preparation, I am so glad that I found and chose to be a part of the VACorps program. They provided the perfect balance of support/structure and freedom and ensures a safe a positive intern experience. This experience is one I will hold in my heart for the rest of my life, and I already cannot wait to come back to Cape Town as soon as I can!”