The brainiacs of NMMU

I’m never sure whether to laugh or cry at our academic awards. I find myself being torn between releasing silent high-pitched sniggers of disbelief at the sheer academic excellence of these students and cries of despair at just how middle-of-the-road I am.

Xandri Schoultz, Ross Charnock, Greg Ducie and Lana Strydom were among the recipients of the 2014 Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Academic Achiever Awards.

With citation after citation highlighting their brainiac brilliance, I am both inspired and depressed. Inspired because these academic achievers give me hope for South Africa’s future and downright depressed about the marks I managed to produce.

Or is it just me?

But then I remember that the awards aren’t about me – the awards are about the students who deserve recognition for the hours that they have toiled to obtain their distinctions and for the solutions they are seeking through their research.

I mean, I am not exactly seeking solutions for curing cancer via chemistry (as in Xandri Schoultz’s case) or hoping against hope that I can make a difference and help improve South Africa’s pitiful mathematics marks with research into the concept of mindfulness like Amina Brey.

And that’s what just two of the 29 Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University recipients are doing … endeavouring to add value to South Africa’s lot.

Not that the lot of these students has always been easy which makes me marvel (and feel even more pathetic) all the more.

One Henrick Tissink, for example, grew up all over Africa and was home-schooled for the best part of his schooling. He also had to deal with tropical diseases along the way and yet he managed an average of 92% for maths in his BSc degree.

And then there’s Amina Brey, a muslim women, who studied theology for five years, and then taught for seven years before pursuing her own studies in education. She’s the mature student who is now seeking to improve the country’s poor mathematics marks by helping to improve learners’ memory capacity. Only 14% of South Africa’s grade 9s passed their Annual National Assessments last year.

Renita Affat (left ) and Amina Brey

Yes, there’s plenty of reason to celebrate; to recognise the young and not-so-young men and women who sacrifice so much for academic excellence.

And as much reason for me and all the other average Joes out there to get over ourselves and recognise that while we may not have been blessed with an abundance of brains, there is always something positive we can do to pave the way for a better tomorrow.

We’ll start by choosing to be inspired. Let’s recognize and celebrate the academic excellence of the following recipients:

Full list of winners

Rupert Family Trust winners (R60 000 each):

· Amina Brey - PhD: Education on mindfulness training and mathematics

· Xandri Schoultz – PhD: Chemistry on rhenium thiazoles as anti-cancer agents

Vice-Chancellor’s Awards

· Ross Charnock – Best first diploma; NDip: Photography

· Lana Strydom – Best first degree; BPharm

· Greg Ducie – Best postgraduate degree in the Social Sciences and Humanities; MCom: Business Management

· Xandri Schoultz – Best postgraduate degree in Science, Engineering and Technology; MSc: Chemistry

First-year Undergraduate Awards

· Cecilia Matsha – NDip: Inventory and Stores Management (Business and Economic Sciences)

· Yasmine Khan – Bpharm (Health Sciences)

· First Diploma Awards

· Ross Charnock – NDip: Photography (Arts)

· Rendo Rust – NDip: Marketing Management (Business and Economic Sciences)

· Tafadzwa Mvindi – NDip: Electrical Engineering (Engineering, Built Environment and IT)

· Tanya Herselman – NDip: Biomedical Technology (Health Sciences)

· Andrew Halvey – NDip: Game Ranch Management (Science)

First Degree Awards

· Leah Moodaley – BA Media, Communication and Culture (Arts)

· Caitlin Allen – BCom (Rationim) (Business and Economic Sciences)

· Roxanne Pittaway - BEd: Foundation Phase (Education)

· Noel Jansen – BEng: Mechatronics (Engineering, Built Environment and IT)

· Lana Strydom – BPharm (Health Sciences)

· Tamryn Jensen – Bachelor of Law (Law)

· Henrick Tissink – BSc (Science)

BTech Awards

· Rayghana Abrahams – BTech: Cost and Management Accounting (Sponsor: Ford Motor Company)

· Andries Lotter – BTech: Information Technology (Software Development)

Postgraduate Awards

· Lauren Farquharson – BEd (Hon) (Education)

· Aviwe Gqwaka – BSc (Hon) Mathematical Statistics (Science)

· Jonray LeeChing – MBA (Business and Economic Sciences)

· Greg Ducie – MCom: Business Management (Business and Economic Sciences)

· Xandri Schoultz – MSc: Chemistry (Science)



· Bridget de Villiers – MTech: Human Resources Management (Business and Economic Sciences)