Kelly participated in an occupational therapy internship in Cape Town with VACorps in 2018. “Interning in Cape Town at a children’s rehabilitation hospital has been truly incredible. I am so thankful that VACorps was able to place me at my preferred site and have loved getting to know the rehabilitation care workers, patients and nurses. For the past two months, I have been conducting occupational therapy sessions with infants and toddlers while they stay at the hospital for extended periods of time. I have learned more about child development and gained valuable experience with occupational therapy exercises – I was given a great deal of freedom to set goals for patients, develop my own treatment plans and see them to fruition. I felt that I was able to do a lot more hands-on work than I otherwise would have been able to without actually having an OT degree. I also really enjoyed learning about the cultural attitudes about child rearing, illness, development and special needs.

“Living in Cape Town made this experience even better. The people are friendly, the food is DELICIOUS and there are endless things to do and see. Coming in July does mean it can get chilly and rainy, but ‘winter’ in Cape Town also has beautiful, warm days that I spent hiking or at the beach. I am very glad that I participated in the VACorps program – the piece of mind that comes with having the VACorps team is definitely worth it. Weekly activities are always a blast and a great way to explore Cape Town. If you are even considering interning abroad, Cape Town is the best place to do it!”