Seizing Opportunities : Education and Internships
Qascalinne’s story showcases the journey of someone driven by a desire to help others and determined to overcome obstacles. From a young age, she knew she wanted to work in the NGO sector, but financial challenges threatened to derail her plans. Qascalinne found her way to Scalabrini’s UpLearn programme, where she pursued her studies and gained valuable experience through a Scalabrini internship. Her journey is a reminder of the importance of seizing opportunities and staying committed to your goals.
“It is important to me to be able to help people.”
Qascalinne always knew that she wanted to work in the NGO sector and be part of a team that makes a real impact on people’s lives. “It is important to me to be able to help people. Growing up, my family received so much help and I would not be where I am today without it.” This dream was solidified after a volunteering stint in Grade 10 at a psychiatric hospital and propelled Qascalinne in the direction of studying psychology.
After school, she was accepted to study at the South African College of Applied Psychology. She now needed to find the money to cover her fees. Growing up with parents who were both business owners, hard work and determination were in her genes.
To raise the fees, Qascalinne and her mother started selling items, door-to-door. “We were raising funds, but I could only get enough for the registration fees. I really didn’t know what to do.” This brought Qascalinne’s plans to a halt. Until her uncle received an email about UpLearn and sent it to Qascalinne to apply.
“From then on, it’s been a beautiful journey with Scalabrini”
Qascalinne was accepted to study a BA in Healthcare Management through Scalabrini’s UpLearn programme and graduated in 2023. UpLearn is the Scalabrini Centre’s higher education initiative and forms part of Southern New Hampshire Global Education Movement (SNHU-GEM) tuition-based academic scholarship programme for people who are refugees, migrants, and South Africans.
While Qascalinne was studying, she interned at Ikhaya le Langa – another step towards working in the NGO sector. Following graduation, the UpLearn team encourages students to apply for the internships available at Scalabrini, Qascalinne explains. “I wanted to continue in the NGO space so that I could grow and build my career. That is what motivated me to apply [for the internship]. The internship was a way to help build my skills and network. I wanted to put myself out there!”
“It made me feel like I am grown – I am doing big people things”
Qascalinne took on the role of Skills Hub Intern. This is a dynamic role, which allowed Qascalinne to facilitate workshops, work reception, conduct client consultations, run events and more! “I never thought I would be facilitating big groups of people, and clients who were older than me. I had to learn how to approach them and get them engaged. That was a big deal for me! It made me feel like I am grown – I am doing big people things!”
Qascalinne speaks about all the many ways that the internship helped her develop, personally and professionally, while being held by a supportive team. From improving her communication, and setting boundaries, to building her confidence, Qascalinne has gained valuable skills to take with her into the workplace. “I have worked hard to build my foundation. Scalabrini has helped me grow professionally, build my skills, and grow in areas that I did not place enough importance on before.”
Qascalinne reflects on her internship being an “introduction to the work-life; how you are expected to behave, how to carry yourself and how to stand up for yourself.” The internship helped boost her “work confidence.” This is why Qascalinne would like to encourage all students to apply for internships; “even if you have six months left of studying, apply!” she says.
Coming full circle, from receiving help to helping people, Qascalinne keeps moving herself closer to her childhood dream. She says that she looks forward to applying all that she learned during her internship in her new role as Project Coordinator at RWS Africa.
