If it takes a village to raise a child, in this case it was Fingo Village. That's where Nathaniel Nyaluza High matriculant Vuyile Sixaba, 18, who earned a top achiever award from the Eastern Cape Education Department for his excellent results, grew up.
If it takes a village to raise a child, in this case it was Fingo Village. That's where Nathaniel Nyaluza High matriculant Vuyile Sixaba, 18, who earned a top achiever award from the Eastern Cape Education Department for his excellent results, grew up.
His 100% for Mathematics topped his other three distinctions, for Life Sciences (89%) and 88% for both Life Orientation and Physics. The award is given to high achievers by the MEC for education, and comes with the offer of a bursary of R50 000 over three years for Sixaba to study at a tertiary institution of his choice. Sixaba puts his achievement down to hard work and a good support system.
"The support I received from a lot people, including my teachers, motivated me to go the extra mile," said Sixaba, who was thrilled with his results. Throughout the year, Sixaba said he had attended after-school classes, not only at his own school, but also at St Andrew's and Nombulelo High.
A former Mathematics teacher at Nathaniel Nyaluza High, Dr Humphrey Atebe, who was a mentor for Sixaba and three other pupils during and after his time there, said he had realised early on that Sixaba had the potential to achieve great marks.
When Otebe left the school last year for a post in Rhodes University's education department, he continued his mentorship. "Before he wrote his final maths exam, he came to me with a problem," said Otebe, "and after helping him I was convinced he would do very well. I would have been surprised if he had received anything less than a distinction."
On Thursday, Sixaba was awarded a Special Award at a gala event in East London, which gives him the opportunity to study anywhere in the country. Although Sixaba still wasn't sure what his career would be, he said he would study at either Rhodes University or the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth.
But he did say that whatever career he chose, "it will be something that will equip me with leadership skills, like economics, because my dream is to become the president." Appropriately for someone whose aspirations may well add up to something big, he named former president Thabo Mbeki and US President Barack Obama as his role models.
