As soon as she could when she heard she’d earned five As for her hard work, matriculant Andisiwe Wulana, 17, returned to her roots in Tsomo to visit her grandparents.
Andisiwe was the top matriculant at the Gansbaai Academia, the town’s high school which, under the guidance of principal Tommy Wilson, has produced top pupils during its existence of merely five years.
The school’s present star is one of four children of the town’s golf course gardener, Thikanti Wulana and his wife, Nosolomzi who, ironically, is a construction worker on the soon-to-be completed new primary school being built in the Masakhane township.
It is close to the construction site where the Wulana family live in a shack.
Hard work has paid off for Andisiwe. University of Free State (Kovsies) vice-chancellor Jonathan Jansen, who a year ago grabbed Gansbaai Academia’s other top pupil, Bianca de Koning, by offering her an all-expenses paid bursary, did it again.
This time he was behind a similar bursary, which will enable Andisiwe to come to Bloemfontein.
“I first noticed Andisiwe in Grade 11,” said Wilson. “We offer after hours study facilities to students from our school whose circumstances make it difficult for them to study at home. And I noticed Andisiwe was always here.”
Academia’s matric class of 2014 achieved a pass rate of 89.5%. It is slightly less than last year, but is in line with the national results.
Andisiwe’s five distinctions include a 96% for business economics.
She plans to enrol as a Bachelor of Commerce accounting student at Kovsies later this week.
“I worked hard because I knew my parents could not afford to send me to university,” said Andisiwe.
She did not take part in sport but joined the community and church choirs in the township.
“I thanked the Lord for helping me,” she tweeted when she heard her results.
“It is a source of tremendous pride for the University of the Free State to partner with one of the top schools in the country when it comes to turning around the academic and social futures of some of the poorest children in this fishing community of Gansbaai,” said Jansen.
“This is the way to tackle and overcome deep poverty – when schools and universities can work together.
“And so I am ecstatic that Kovsies can enable another poor student from Academia, who has also, like Bianca, overcome great difficulties to stand ready for higher education and a top career after she graduates.”
Wilson said it was tough to maintain Gansbaai Academia’s high pass rate.
“We compete with other schools while a quarter of our kids’ parents cannot afford the school fees.
“During the five years we have only been able to pay two governing body posts, while some schools have between 14 and 15 paid posts.
“That’s why I always appeal to Gansbaai’s business community to support the school … it is their school.”
Star Tsomo pupil earns bursary with 5 As
Andisiwe was the top matriculant at the Gansbaai Academia, the town’s high school which, under the guidance of principal Tommy Wilson, has produced top pupils during its existence of merely five years.
The school’s present star is one of four children of the town’s golf course gardener, Thikanti Wulana and his wife, Nosolomzi who, ironically, is a construction worker on the soon-to-be completed new primary school being built in the Masakhane township.
It is close to the construction site where the Wulana family live in a shack.
Hard work has paid off for Andisiwe. University of Free State (Kovsies) vice-chancellor Jonathan Jansen, who a year ago grabbed Gansbaai Academia’s other top pupil, Bianca de Koning, by offering her an all-expenses paid bursary, did it again.
This time he was behind a similar bursary, which will enable Andisiwe to come to Bloemfontein.
“I first noticed Andisiwe in Grade 11,” said Wilson. “We offer after hours study facilities to students from our school whose circumstances make it difficult for them to study at home. And I noticed Andisiwe was always here.”
Academia’s matric class of 2014 achieved a pass rate of 89.5%. It is slightly less than last year, but is in line with the national results.
Andisiwe’s five distinctions include a 96% for business economics.
She plans to enrol as a Bachelor of Commerce accounting student at Kovsies later this week.
“I worked hard because I knew my parents could not afford to send me to university,” said Andisiwe.
She did not take part in sport but joined the community and church choirs in the township.
“I thanked the Lord for helping me,” she tweeted when she heard her results.
“It is a source of tremendous pride for the University of the Free State to partner with one of the top schools in the country when it comes to turning around the academic and social futures of some of the poorest children in this fishing community of Gansbaai,” said Jansen.
“This is the way to tackle and overcome deep poverty – when schools and universities can work together.
“And so I am ecstatic that Kovsies can enable another poor student from Academia, who has also, like Bianca, overcome great difficulties to stand ready for higher education and a top career after she graduates.”
Wilson said it was tough to maintain Gansbaai Academia’s high pass rate.
“We compete with other schools while a quarter of our kids’ parents cannot afford the school fees.
“During the five years we have only been able to pay two governing body posts, while some schools have between 14 and 15 paid posts.
“That’s why I always appeal to Gansbaai’s business community to support the school … it is their school.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos