Star pupil gets scholarship to study at US university
An Imagine Scholar graduate's drive and entrepreneurial spirit has earned him a R2,5 million scholarship to attend university in the United States.
KAMHLUSHWA – Following the completion of his international baccalaureate in Armenia last year, Imagine Scholar alumnus Rodger Chinhangue returned home to mentor Imagine Scholar learners.
During this time, he was notified that he had received a full scholarship to study business administration at the University of Idaho, in the United States of America.
Chinhangue loves engineering and has a passion for uplifting his community. During his time at Imagine Scholar, he independently built a plumbing and electrical system for a new building at the institution, captained a team who designed and raced an electric vehicle to victory in a provincial competition, attended the Yale Young Global Scholars programme in Singapore and mentored youths at Camp Caldera in Oregon in the USA.
READ: Three pupils head to Singapore to attend prestigious program
Chinhangue attended the United World College’s Dilijan campus in Armenia, after being awarded a full scholarship in mid-2016 during his grade 11 year at Sidlamafa Secondary.
READ: Dedicated pupils beat the odds to win prestigious scholarships
The innovative scholar was part of Imagine Scholar, a rigorous after-school mentorship programme for high school learners in Nkomazi, since the start of his grade nine year. He was happy to return to contribute to community development.
Although Chinhangue was awarded a full scholarship to complete his university studies thanks to the David Scholarship, he still needs to raise money for his plane ticket. He is currently working on raising the R15 000 needed to cover his travelling costs. Community members can contribute by contacting Imagine Scholar via email at info@imaginescholar.org.
Once he has completed his degree, he hopes to return to South Africa to work in infrastructure development to improve social conditions.
The Imagine Scholar alumnus will leave behind a lasting legacy at the project’s campus in KaMhlushwa.
Since his return after finishing school, he outfitted the campus with a solar panel system. The programme needed a more stable energy source, as they experienced frequent load-shedding. Chinhangue also hoped to educate the community and student body on the need for sustainable energy sources in light of climate change.
The solar panel project is estimated to reduce the campus’ electricity costs by 75 per cent.
For more information on Imagine Scholar and their projects, visit imaginescholar.org.
