Durban — UMlazi star matriculant Wendy Ndadane has her sights set on becoming a heart surgeon after earning seven distinctions and a bursary for her studies.
“My ultimate goal is to reside in a country with ample job opportunities for the youth, promoting self-reliance and independence,” she said.
Wendy, who attended Zwelibanzi High School, said she wanted to pursue a MBChB at UCT. She achieved seven distinctions, including 98% in maths and 96% in physical science.
“My interest in maths and science started in Grade 1 when my uncle used to teach me maths. He ensured I got a good mark in every test and from there I started liking it.
“When you are able to do something correctly, you end up falling in love with it and want to understand it at a higher level. My science teacher, Miss Gumede, made me fall in love with science even more. She really encouraged me and made me believe I could do it and get good grades.”
Her mother, Fikisiwe Ndadane, said she was not surprised her daughter passed very well because she studied hard.
“I was worried about her health and safety since she always came home late and we live in an unsafe area full of criminals. But I always knew that God was going to protect her.”
Fikisiwe said her heart was sore because Wendy would soon head to university, and she would miss her.
Wendy also praised the Engen Maths and Science School programme, which she said helped her attain such good results and its parent company for ongoing support in the form of a bursary for tertiary study.
The company’s CSI manager, Olwethu Mdabula, said the programme focused on gateway subjects – maths, science and English – to help address the country’s skills shortage, bridging educational gaps and gender equality, which in turn contributed to economic growth.
Independent on Saturday