My name is
Eric Burfeind, and I am a sophomore pursuing an Allied Health Sciences major
with Psychology and Biology minors. I first learned about the UConn in Cape
Town program during an accepted students event before I was even enrolled at
the university, and I had my sights set on it ever since. I personally felt as
though I could vacation to Europe at any point in my life, but would never
again have the opportunity to visit, let alone study in, Africa, so I wanted to
seize the opportunity while I had it.
Because I am
studying to become a physician assistant, I hope to gain as much hands-on
patient contact as possible during my internship. I am delighted at the
prospect of assisting in a clinic that sees between 500 and 700 patients per
day because I will be able to positively impact so many lives on a daily basis.
I believe that South Africa and the United States are more similar than most
people think, especially regarding racial disparities, so I am eager to explore
this theme and others through our coursework and first-hand experiences.
Now that I
have committed to the program, I am feeling a mix of excitement and
nervousness. Though I am not sure how I will be able to occupy myself for 17
hours of flying at the beginning and end of our journey, I do not imagine that
I will have any trouble keeping myself busy during the time in between. I just
picture myself navigating the streets of Cape Town like a local, looking out
from the summit of Table Mountain, and observing the wild animals in Kruger
National Park, and I cannot help but smile. Having read Nelson Mandela’s
autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, I cannot wait to walk the land where
one of the world’s greatest political and social revolutions took place. I will
absolutely miss my family and friends, but I know that I will also have the
experience of a lifetime!
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