An 18-year-old girl from Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape, through the unifying force of sport, will be able to pursue her dream to become a doctor.
Bronwyn White, 18, one of the United Through Sport’s Senior School of Excellence beneficiaries, achieved her 2017 National Senior Certificate, meeting the requirements to study towards a bachelor's degree. In addition, she also attained four distinctions through Pearson High School and has been accepted to study medicine at the University of Cape Town this year.
A non-profit organisation, United Through Sport, founded in Port Elizabeth, works with kids from disadvantaged backgrounds using the power of sport to improve education, raise health awareness and build life-skills. The NGO's flagship programme in South Africa but also supports satellite programmes in South America, the Caribbean and Asia.
Anyone can get involved by volunteering or donating to the programme which aims to teach children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and also
“United Through Sport gave me such an amazing opportunity, allowing me to attend a school such as Pearson. I feel like I have grown much more and have been exposed to many more opportunities and people thanks to UTS. The fact that they also saw me as a deserving candidate for the bursary inspired confidence in me that I never previously had,” said White.
White is one of nine beneficiaries from the United Through Sport Senior School of Excellence Programme who have all achieved their 2017 National Senior Certificates. They have chosen diverse career paths, from studying photography to accounting, at various tertiary institutions across the country.
The United Through Sport Senior School of Excellence (SSE) Programme, which is based in Nelson Mandela Bay, is focused on providing talented and determined children with a top-level academic education for a full five years - with the final aim of further supporting them through tertiary studies. Participating schools include leading schools Pearson High School, Alexander Road High School and Muir College.
The Class of 2017 is the biggest group of graduates that have passed through the SSE Programme, according to United Through Sport Director Nick Mould. “Each one of our Grade 12s is expected to pursue tertiary studies, many being the first in their families to do so. Compared to the national average, we are very pleased with our 100 percent pass rate and would like to wish all our beneficiaries well in their future endeavours,” said Mould.
The Programme’s 100 percent pass rate is well above the 65 percent provincial and 75.1 percent national average pass rates. The United Through Sport SSE Programme achieved a 78 percent university pass rate, compared to the national average of just 28 percent.
Kaylin Fourie, 18, another United Through Sport SSE beneficiary who passed, meeting the requirements for eligibility to study towards a degree, will be pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher by studying B.Ed. through the University of Pretoria.
"United Through Sport has been there for me since I was 11 years old, and they have been the main reason I have achieved my dream of being the first person in my family to go to university. This opportunity has really changed my life," Fourie said.
- African News Agency (ANA)
