In a night filled with pride and prestige, Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票 (SU) recently celebrated its top students with the annual Rector's Awards. With a red-carpet welcome and live music by Solomon Mathipa the event brought together the SU's leadership, faculty and students to celebrate the achievements of 84 students who exemplify excellence across multiple fields.
The theme of the 2024 Rector's Awards, “Empowering Minds, Empowering Communities: Dreamers, Doers, Difference Makers", resonated throughout the evening, with leaders highlighting the 中国体育彩票's mission to foster individual potential for collective progress.
The theme speaks to what SU aspires to achieve, Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers said in his opening remarks. “What sets this evening apart is not just the recognition of success, but the celebration of resilience, the ability to push through adversity, to adapt and to grow stronger," he pointed out.
“We aim to empower our students to take that growth and use it for the ultimate benefit of their communities. Whether in academics, leadership, sport or service, each of you has demonstrated the power of individual potential as a catalyst for collective progress. Education, personal growth and development are the foundations upon which we build a more inclusive, just and vibrant future. All of you whom we're recognising tonight, you're not just dreamers. You are very much doers and difference makers who will undoubtedly go on to shape your communities, your professions and the world at large," De Villiers concluded.
Holistic student experience
Prof Deresh Ramjugernath, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching, provided further context about the significance of the Rector's Awards. He said the student journey is not just about the formal curriculum. “It's about the holistic student experience at the institution, and how this makes you the citizen that we envision is needed by the country," he said.
Ramjugernath emphasised the significance of awards for excellence on SU's calendar, as it celebrates students' hard work and exceptional achievements. He also acknowledged the vital role of dedicated staff in fostering a nurturing environment that enables students to reach their full potential. He provided a breakdown of the nominations received for this year's awards: 131 applications across various categories, including academics, leadership, social impact, culture, sport and service to students.
One of the evening's highlights was the presentation of a special award from the Student Representative Council (SRC). SU's student leaders recognised Kallie Sauls, Coordinator: Statutory Funding at the Centre for Undergraduate Bursaries and Loans at SU, for his outstanding efforts to aid students.
Sauls' work has played a pivotal role in supporting students' access to higher education, said Phiwokuhle Qabaka, outgoing SRC Chairperson. She delivered a heartfelt tribute and praised Sauls' unwavering commitment to helping students, describing him as a tireless advocate who would “move mountains" to ensure their voices were heard and their needs were met.
Sauls spoke passionately about the transformative power of collaboration and empowerment, urging the audience to continue to make an impact whether through sharing resources and expertise or simply being there to guide and support others.
A night to remember
Another poignant moment met with warm applause was when Dr Elmien Sinclair, Head of the Unit for Academic Counselling and Development at SU, presented the Academic Resilience Award. This prize is given at the Rector's discretion to a student who has demonstrated remarkable dedication and resilience in overcoming significant challenges throughout their academic journey.
The recipient, Siziphiwe Ligebhu, a final-year BSc Physiotherapy student, has faced a complex family dynamic, including grief, financial hardships and limited parental support since a young age, Sinclair explained. Despite these obstacles, Ligebhu remained committed to her studies. Sinclair praised her “gentle tenacity and grit", which have allowed her to make remarkable progress while remaining dedicated to her personal and academic goals.
Ligebhu said she was deeply grateful and moved by the recognition for her perseverance. “I lost my mom when I was in primary school and later the woman who supported me also passed away. It affected me quite a lot and 2022 was a very difficult year academically, but through the hardships I never thought of dropping out of university," she said.
Throughout the evening an atmosphere of excitement prevailed as students congratulated each other and celebrated with their families. Being nominated for an academic prize came as a complete surprise to Lize Theunissen, a BSc master's student in food science. “When I received the email, I thought the invitation was accidentally sent to the wrong person!" Theunissen said. “It's a huge honour to be recognised in this way. It's an inspiration and motivation to do my best in the last year of my dissertation."
For Nealan Hangford, a fourth-year medical student at SU's Tygerberg campus, and his mother Lizbe, the Rector's Award for Excellence in Leadership came as “a wonderful reward" after years of dedication and sacrifice. Nealan's father's struggle with bipolar disorder inspired him to study medicine, he explained. “I decided to become a psychiatrist so that I would one day be in a position to help people with mental health issues and influence policy in the public health sector," he said. The supportive environment at SU contributed to his academic success and achievements as a student leader, Nealan added.
Lizbe beamed as she congratulated her son. “Tonight, I'm a terribly proud mother. Nealan is the first in our family to go to university and he will be the first doctor in the family. Everyone is so excited for him and very, very proud," she said.
A daughter of two well-known SU alumni was also on the list of academic achievers. Dhania Schultz received an award for academic excellence in her honour's year as a drama student. Her parents, actors Waldemar and Ira Schultz, both studied drama at SU. Waldemar accompanied Dhania and glowed with pride all through the evening.
PHOTO: Dr Elmien Sinclair and Prof Wim de Villiers presented Siziphiwe Ligebhu with the Academic Resilience Award. (Photo: Stefan Els)
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