Former Tsholomnqa High School pupil Lutho Jimana, who beat nearly 100 fellow matric pupils at the end of last year and took the top spot in the Eastern Cape Engen maths science schools (EMSS) programme, began his studies at Rhodes University this year.
Jimana, 18, who is studying towards becoming a scientist, said he used to walk an hour from his home in Gqala, East London, to his classes at Tsholomnqa High School every day during his high school career, without ever losing sight of his lifelong vision of wearing a white coat and working in a laboratory.
Jimana did not let his long daily walks, his overcrowded home where it was difficult to study, or financial constraints due to his mother’s unemployment get in the way. The student, who just started his four-year journey to achieve his bachelor of pharmacy degree, said he would tackle his tertiary education with the same determination and passion he showed during his 12-year school career.
Having scored 94% for science and 85% for maths, he credits the extra lessons provided by EMSS for his outstanding results and is adamant that he could never have achieved such excellence without the commitment of the Engen programme teachers, who gave him the support he needed since Grade 10.
“I went to the classes every week and they taught me so much, especially the parts of the syllabus that my teachers at school never taught me.
“I realised I was missing out on so many things and I don’t think I would ever have done so well if it wasn’t for the Engen teachers who filled in all the gaps.”
A total of 555 matrics from across South Africa benefited from Engen-backed extra classes in English, maths and science last year, achieving an impressive 94% pass rate overall.
The East London EMSS centre, one of nine in South Africa and the one which Jimana attended, attained a 96% pass rate.
The EMSS centre in Cape Town and two others in KwaZulu-Natal boasted 100% pass rates.
Adhila Hamdulay, Engen’s corporate social investment manager, said the company was delighted to see Jimana get the chance to pursue his dream.
“It was youngsters like Lutho that the EMSS programme aims to assist, with a view to not only see them achieve personal success, but also to tackle the bigger issue of helping address key national skills shortages in engineering, medical and other technical fields.
“We are so incredibly proud to see him and all these learners, who epitomise the quality of the young people we work with around the country every year, do so well.
“Our ultimate reward is to help set them up to pursue stimulating careers that will change their lives, but also benefit the economy as a whole,” Hamdulay said.
Engen graduate thrives at RU
Jimana, 18, who is studying towards becoming a scientist, said he used to walk an hour from his home in Gqala, East London, to his classes at Tsholomnqa High School every day during his high school career, without ever losing sight of his lifelong vision of wearing a white coat and working in a laboratory.
Jimana did not let his long daily walks, his overcrowded home where it was difficult to study, or financial constraints due to his mother’s unemployment get in the way. The student, who just started his four-year journey to achieve his bachelor of pharmacy degree, said he would tackle his tertiary education with the same determination and passion he showed during his 12-year school career.
Having scored 94% for science and 85% for maths, he credits the extra lessons provided by EMSS for his outstanding results and is adamant that he could never have achieved such excellence without the commitment of the Engen programme teachers, who gave him the support he needed since Grade 10.
“I went to the classes every week and they taught me so much, especially the parts of the syllabus that my teachers at school never taught me.
“I realised I was missing out on so many things and I don’t think I would ever have done so well if it wasn’t for the Engen teachers who filled in all the gaps.”
A total of 555 matrics from across South Africa benefited from Engen-backed extra classes in English, maths and science last year, achieving an impressive 94% pass rate overall.
The East London EMSS centre, one of nine in South Africa and the one which Jimana attended, attained a 96% pass rate.
The EMSS centre in Cape Town and two others in KwaZulu-Natal boasted 100% pass rates.
Adhila Hamdulay, Engen’s corporate social investment manager, said the company was delighted to see Jimana get the chance to pursue his dream.
“It was youngsters like Lutho that the EMSS programme aims to assist, with a view to not only see them achieve personal success, but also to tackle the bigger issue of helping address key national skills shortages in engineering, medical and other technical fields.
“We are so incredibly proud to see him and all these learners, who epitomise the quality of the young people we work with around the country every year, do so well.
“Our ultimate reward is to help set them up to pursue stimulating careers that will change their lives, but also benefit the economy as a whole,” Hamdulay said.
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