Flying Start at CCF for Vanier College Business Administration Students

Just like fast cheetahs running through the Namibian countryside, two Vanier College Business Administration interns, Anabel Pierre and Martina Padilla Paz, and I, quickly met the wonderful staff at CCF in Otjiwarongo, Namibia, in early May 2024. After receiving a warm welcome from everyone at CCF, we continued our visit by exploring the Cheetah Museum and Centre where we learned all about this world renown research institution dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild.

This captivating visit was followed by an in-depth discussion with Business Manager Anne-Marie Bekker, who supervised the Business Administration students’ internships, and Tracy, her assistant. Our discussions focused on business needs and areas where the Business Administration students would have the greatest impact and contribution.

Wildlife abounds at CCF, from cheetahs about to perform their “cheetah run” to cheetahs relaxing under the Namibian sun, and from 7 weeks old puppies to the oldest (and heaviest) livestock guarding dog lifted here by Manager Calum O’Flaherty.

Now, in late May 2024, our Business Administration interns have just come back to Canada after spending close to four weeks at CCF, and they have thoroughly enjoyed their experience. Despite being many thousands of miles away from home, they welcomed the challenge of having to adapt to a new culture and a new way of life. In the words of Martina Padilla Paz, “CCF made me feel so welcome, it became like a second home to me”.

During their time at CCF, the Business Administration interns helped with the day to day operations while conducting business assessments and identifying how CCF could run more effectively from an Operations and Marketing perspective.

I’m very grateful for my short but enriching stay at CCF and I look forward to continue discussing future internship collaborations with CCF.