Natalie (pictured on the right) is in her final year of studies at the University of New Mexico. She is studying a Bsc in Population Health with a minor in Health Education and joined the VACorps program in May 2021 where she participated in a public health internship. 

I recently graduated college with my Bachelor’s in Public Health and wanted to get some experience in global health before pursuing my master’s degree. I chose Cape Town because, unfortunately, they have. a high prevalence of HIV, and I wanted to look at infection control. I was placed with Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation and got to learn about the clinical trials the site is doing to combat HIV and provide vaccination. Overall, I learned a lot from my internship site, the country, and the people I met. My internship showed me that I want to pursue my master’s degree in infection control and prevention. It was an amazing experience for me and I am grateful I came out here.