Nathaniel Nyaluza Secondary School matriculant Vuyile Sixaba has been offered a prestigious science scholarship at Rhodes University.
Nathaniel Nyaluza Secondary School matriculant Vuyile Sixaba has been offered a prestigious science scholarship at Rhodes University.
Sixaba, whom Grocott's Mail recently profiled after his excellent matric results, has been offered a scholarship, worth R87 000, for the first year of a three-year Bachelor of Science degree at Rhodes, majoring in Physics and Mathematics.
Subsequent financial support would continue, based on Sixaba's first-year results. The scholarship is managed by Rhodes University and funded by Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Africa, a global collaboration of 20 countries to build the most powerful radio-telescope yet, which may provide answers to fundamental questions about origin and evolution of the universe.
The telescope will be built in the southern hemisphere, and Africa is one of the continents bidding to have it built here, in South Africa. Sixaba, who received four distinctions in the 2010 exams, including in Mathematics (100%) and Physics (88%), was informed of the scholarship offer early in December.
"I am very grateful for the scholarship offer," said Sixaba from his home in Fingo Village. "It means a lot to me."
Rhodes University Vice Chancellor, Dr Saleem Badat, has played a part in ensuring that Sixaba, a local boy who consistently achieved outstanding results, was able to enrol at the university. "I didn't want him to fall through the cracks," said Badat, adding that matriculants who excelled in their exams ought not be hindered by financial difficulties.
"I've got great hopes for Vuyile," said John Gillam, the financial aid administrator at Rhodes," and I'll be following his progress." Sixaba's SKA scholarship offer comes on top of special award from the provincial education MEC's office, for top matriculants, worth R50 000 for a three-year course.
And, with the universe at his feet, so to speak, Sixaba is still considering his options. Torn between the scientific path that taking up the SKA scholarship would offer, and his own leanings towards a career in economics, Sixaba said he would make up his mind once and for all during Orientation Week next month.
