When I first landed in South Africa, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d never traveled that far, especially alone, and I definitely never thought I’d be hand-feeding a cheetah by the end of the week. But that’s exactly what happened.

I spent two weeks in Magaliesburg working at a wildlife rehabilitation center focused on cheetah conservation. Every day, I helped care for the animals by feeding them, cleaning enclosures, and just sitting nearby to observe their behavior. I also got to work with lions, hyenas, bush babies, and meerkats. One of the coolest moments was hearing a cheetah chirp in person for the first time. It’s nothing like you’d expect and kind of gives you chills.

We also took a trip to Pilanesberg National Park where I saw elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and even a leopard. I’ve seen these animals in books and documentaries but seeing them in the wild made everything feel more real and meaningful.

As an animal science major planning to go into veterinary medicine, especially wildlife or zoo medicine, this experience gave me exactly the kind of hands-on learning I’ve been craving. It connected what I’ve learned in class with real-world work. I understand so much more now about what it takes to care for exotic animals, from diet to behavior to their environment.

On a personal level, this program meant even more. I’m a first-generation college student and I have disabilities, and there were moments when I wasn’t sure I could do something like this. But I did. I made friends, worked hard, and proved to myself that I belong in this field.

Before this program, I thought studying abroad was for other people. People with more money or more confidence or more experience. But because of scholarship support, I was able to go. And it honestly changed my life. Even though South Africa is an English-speaking country, I still had to learn how to communicate across cultural differences, work with new people, and adapt to new environments. That was a huge part of the growth for me.

If you're wondering whether you could study abroad too, the answer is yes. And it might be one of the best decisions you ever make.

Name: Alexandra Stuart
Status: Junior
Major: Animal Science
Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii
Program: Cheetah Conservation Internship in South Africa