Internships in Guatemala City, Guatemala

My stay in South Africa greatly exceeded my expectations. I expected my experience at Gondwana to be exciting and educational, but I never imagined it would be as impactful and enriching as it turned out to be. I'm leaving with a deep appreciation for the incredible wildlife, plants, and landscapes I experienced, as well as the connections and bonds I made with the people around me. I learned far more than I expected and gained an even greater love for the beauty and uniqueness of the region. The most rewarding part of my stay was the unexpected friendships and social bonds I formed with the people around me. I also found it rewarding to complete a GIS which gave me a sense of accomplishment. Working on conservation in such a beautiful and biodiverse region was a privilege, and every day I learned something new about the area's unique wildlife, plants, and ecology. The highlight of my stay was the friendships I formed with the people around me, as well as the privilege of seeing incredible wildlife in its natural habitat every day. Experiencing such a unique environment and becoming so familiar with the animals, plants, and landscapes was something very few people ever have the opportunity to do. It was an unforgettable experience of living and working closely with South Africa’s wildlife, where I was constantly learning, pushed outside my comfort zone in the best ways, and grew personally and professionally while contributing to conservation work.

What I enjoyed most about this internship was the unexpected teaching experience and the variety of work I got to do. I went into the program not expecting to teach, but I was first asked to cover one class for a week while a teacher was away. I had mentioned that I am studying to become a teacher, so they gave me the opportunity, and I am really grateful for that. After that, they asked me to cover more classes, and I ended up teaching for about two weeks in total. This was a big learning experience for me, and it helped me build confidence, improve my communication skills, and gain real classroom experience that I didn’t expect to get. Alongside this, I also did administration work for one week at the beginning and again later in the program. This gave me a better understanding of how things are organized behind the scenes in an education setting. Overall, the mix of admin work and teaching made the internship very valuable, and I learned a lot more than I expected when I first started. This really helped me develop personally and professionally. I am so grateful for the opportunity.