Former resident honoured for her work
"Education is the single most powerful lever for social change and I wanted to be a part of that," said Ms Venessa Willms.
A former Edenvale resident received an OBE for Education in the 2016 honours list – for individuals who have made life better for others or who are outstanding at what they do.
Ms Venessa Willms (McInnes) went to Dunvegan Primary School and matriculated from Holy Rosary Convent in 1989.
She then qualified as a teacher at the Witwatersrand University while living in Dunvegan with her family.
Ms Willms is currently the director of primary education at Ark Academy in London.
“I was privileged to have had the opportunity to have the very best education from both Dunvegan Primary and Holy Rosary School. My experiences in both SA and in the UK confirmed what I had known – access to high quality education is a game changer. Education is the single most powerful lever for social change and I wanted to be a part of that,” said Ms Willms.
She said she has always taught in challenging inner city areas of high deprivation and has witnessed the impact education has on the lives of families and communities she serves.
“The pupils who were new arrivals in the UK, many who have never attended school previously, arrived in my class, frightened, unable to speak English and culturally shocked. To see them learn the language, grow in confidence, master the curriculum and go on to pass primary with high marks and transition to secondary ready for success are some of the key moments in my career,” she said.
Ms Willms said she has dreams of becoming a dame and ideally a CEO of her own academy chain.
She relocated to London for new adventures and who knows whether she would ever return to Edenvale or South Africa.
“I was blessed to have been in schools and a university that encouraged intellectual curiosity and debate, that welcomed us challenging the status quo and believing anything and everything was possible. We left school believing we had the right, power and expectation to make changes to the world we live in. Love and determination of my parents also made a massive difference,” she said.
#YourStory
