Making study dreams come true
The Paarl Media Bursary Trust has awarded ten new bursaries for tertiary study in 2013. The new recipients and many of the existing beneficiaries were acknowledged at a function at Lemoenkloof Guest House in Paarl on Tuesday, 16 October.
For Miancke Knoetze, a matriculant at Labori High School, the receipt of a bursary from the Paarl Media Bursary Trust will be making her dreams to study further come true, opening up doors and opportunities that would not have been possible otherwise. She is the first in her family to go to university, and has selected to study B. Comm Management Accounting at the University of Stellenbosch (US) with the goal of going into business management one day. Prudence Present from New Orleans Secondary School has also chosen B. Comm Management Accounting as she really enjoys accounting. For her receiving the bursary means she is now assured of available funds for further study and nothing can stop her making a success. Another scholar from Laborie, Nicole Pienaar loves working with children and feels her B. Social Work studies will help people with trauma have a more hope.
The only male of the group, Franco Allies from Bergrivier High School, believes this is God given opportunity to both him and his family, which they would not have been able to afford without assistance. Franco will embarking on a B.Sc. with psychology and biology and is very interested in forensics.
All three will be joined at US by Rina de Villiers from La Rochelle High, Nicolene Resant from Klein Nederburg Secondary, and Chante Trezines from Weltevrede Secondary. With Nicolene’s passion for accounting and mathematics since Grade 9, she is excited to begin her B. Accounting, and selected US as they have a well established department, which has already given her much support. Rina loves for mathematics and statistics motivated her to choose B. Comm Actuarial Science, which she believes offers many career opportunities and a secure future. Chante will be pursuing the legal path with a LLB. She enjoys writing, reading and making a difference to people’s lives, and is very focused with the clear objectives in mind to first become a State Advocate, followed by Minister of Justice. This bursary will take a load off her parent’s shoulders and help her focus and work hard to achieve her goals. Carlon Norman from Charleston Hill Secondary feels the same way and is committed to doing well in her B.Pharm at the University of the Western Cape.
Two of the recipients are busy with their studies at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Natalie Watson is entering her third year of Public Relations Management, whilst Rina de Villiers is completing her first year of a National Diploma in Agriculture. The financial support will substantially lift the pressure of the families and allow them to continue to pursue their studies further. Nicolene plans to work even harder to show that she is capable of earning the bursary every year.
Lambert Retief, Non Executive Chairman of Paarl Media, welcomed the new students and invited Jean –Jacques Kriel, who has received the bursary since 2008 for his B.Eng (Civil) to share his success with the group. Jean-Jacques has now been awarded the Mandela Rhodes Bursary, only given to 20 students a year in South Africa, based on high academic achievement. He highlighted that without the Paarl Media bursary, he would not have been able to accomplish all that he has done.
Lambert further emphasised that the bursary allocation is dependent on results and will not continue if the person fails. Therefore, they need to roll up their sleeves especially in the first six months of their study to ensure they lay a foundation for success.
The R10 million Paarl Media bursary scheme, launched in 2008, is administered as a perpetual fund. It is aimed at students who are interested in studying at the University of Stellenbosch, University of Western Cape, Cape Peninsula University of Technology or Elsenburg Agricultural College. Although there are no prescriptions about the field of study, preference is given to candidates residing in the Drakenstein Valley.
For more information, please contact:
Louise Ehret
Paarl Media Marketing
+27 21 550 2627
E-mail ehret@telkomsa.net / louise.ehret@paarlmedia.co.za
