By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider
IWISE Global Science Olympiad saw the force and resilience of the Star College students in Pretoria when they went off to compete and came out in the second position of the countries with the most medals.
Within the art category young Aneefat Saliu received the top position in the art category with Jeyush Doorsamy earning the second position in the stem category, with South Africa being the second best country overall.
Munise Celik (Gr 10), Jeyush Doorsamy (Gr 10), Aneefat Saliu (Gr 10) earned gold medals, Mpho Mokhohlane (GR 9), Rethabile Kadienge (Gr 8) received silver medals and Mahlongo Mathabathe (Gr 10), Lesedi Mnyakeni (Gr 9) and Dineo Mothapo (Gr 9) for the science olympiad.
“A few weeks back the 8 of us were selected to go to the IWISE international competition and in the beginning it was a bit of a challenge because we were all scared but throughout the week we really enjoyed it, there were fun activities throughout London, there were science expos, bus tours and then the main day in London where all our judging was, but in the judging it’s more about your experience, what you learn.” said Jeyush Doorsamy on his account of his experience in the UK.
“London was such a vibe it was amazing, everything went good, we went there for a science expo where we had to showcase our projects…we socialised with people, we learned, we grew,and today we’re here to honour and appreciate all the hard work that we had done,” said Mahlongo Mathabathe on her experiences during their time abroad.
“I did a group project with my friend and we did a project based on fuse cells and harnessing their heat energy into electrical energy to be used by other appliances and to also be stored. I had so much fun in London my favourite part was us outside, hanging out together making memories,” said Lesedi Mnyakeni as she explained what her project entailed.
IWISE is a global platform for young artists, scientists and performers to showcase their skills on an international stage. The platform gives a stage to young students from the ages 10-24 and aims to mold and shape their creativity through this initiative.
Nicholas Bixa, educator at Star College gave Diplomatic Insider insight behind the selection process of the students; “So, they first had to do an inschool expo, which was compulsory. We then selected them based on merit. Then we had upgrade sessions for their projects and applied at the International World Innovative Student Exhibition (Iwise) London then got an acceptance” said Mr Bixa
Star College is a subsidiary school under the organisation Horizon Trust which was established in Pretoria, in 2012 to provide science and maths focused education for the next generation of South Africans filled with an abundance of opportunities to express themselves on a national and international stage.
The students were honoured by Star College and their parents in a ceremony showcasing their medals and trophies and reminding the students as said by former South African President Nelson Mandela that “Education is the best tool for changing the world,”