Pupil to complete schooling in USA thanks to bursary
Given Sandamela, a grade 11 learner from Schoemansdal, will be trading his school for the United World College USA in Montezuma, New Mexico in August.
KAMHLUSHWA – Thanks to their global reach, Imagine Scholar is helping Nkomazi learners excel and experience education throughout the world.
Given Sandamela, a former grade 11 learner of Lugebhuta High School, is starting his international baccalaureate (IB) at United World College (UWC) USA in Montezuma, New Mexico on August 18.
“Being a UWC student has been my dream ever since I heard about the IB programme and witnessed students such as Lucky, Phila, and Rodger go to various UWCs,” he explains.
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He was awarded a full scholarship and is excited about the experience. “I think going to UWC will challenge me and help me grow academically and personally,” he said.
Given will be going to school in New Mexico for two years and expects to graduate in 2021. He said he will get to visit home once or twice a year, depending on what activities he has planned for the holidays.
He is looking forward to studying maths and environmental science the most and his biggest challenge will be learning how to play an instrument or studying visual arts, as he has no background experience in either. However, he is looking forward to exploring whichever subject he is selected for.
He hopes that his time at UWC will help him decide on which maths or environmental-related course he will study at university once he graduates.
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Given lives in Schoemansdal with his mother, father and sister, who have been very supportive since he first started the UWC application process and are proud of his acceptance.
He became a member of the Imagine Scholar after school youth mentorship programme in grade nine.
It aims to assist learners in excelling within the school curriculum through extra classes and facilitation sessions after school and over weekends, as well as challenge them and cultivate innovative thinking through various projects.
Imagine Scholar helped Given cultivate his passion for mathematics and environmental sustainability and he has completed several entrepreneurial projects.
This includes the Nkomazi Tree Project which aims to plant trees in the region while educating the local community about the affects of climate change, and the actions they can take to reduce their impact.
As a part of Imagine Scholar’s Green Team, Given has also worked with his peers to solve local environmental issues such as creating compost safely, planting organic flower and vegetable gardens, and planting 27 trees at a local primary school.
He hopes to further the project before he finishes his IB, but said he has no concrete plans for it yet. “It will involve educating people about environmental conservation and climate change and planting more trees,” he said.
Imagine Scholar is a non-profit organisation operating in the US and South Africa with the aim of developing Nkomazi’s youth into entrepreneurs, social leaders and high-impact employees. To learn more about their activities and success stories, visit imaginescholar.org.
