HILLCREST High School Grade 12 learner Kiarra Chetty was recently accepted into the University of KwaZulu-Natal cohort of the highly sought after STEM MentHER programme. Designed to support girls who show promise in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the STEM MentHer programme guides and streamlines deserving Grade 12 female students interested in pursuing careers in the STEM fields.
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Chetty, who was nominated by her physical sciences teacher at Hillcrest High School, Natasha Badenhorst, will gain access to tailormade programmes and benefit from the mentorship of female academics and postgraduate students. According to her acceptance letter, her ‘impeccable marks in mathematics’ enabled her ‘to score high points in the final decision’.
According to the UKZN website, globally, less than 30–35% of women pursue STEM careers, and in South Africa, the percentage drops to a mere 13%, emphasising the importance of initiatives such as the MentHer Programme in bridging the gender gap in those fields.
“I am incredibly excited for this opportunity and so grateful to Ms Badenhorst for nominating me,” Chetty said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be introduced to an array of inspirational women who are all experts in their fields. I look forward to gaining access to the knowledge of what it would take to pursue a degree in the field of medicine. I cannot wait for this adventure.”
During the year-long programme, the UKZN team will identify resources and resource persons, share skills, knowledge and ideas pertinent to Chetty’s chosen field in STEM. In addition to access to study counsellors, career psychologists and inspirational women in the sphere, she will also receive mentorship throughout her degree, helping to ensure that she remains on course. The programme also aims to create future role models for the next generation of women entering the field.
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The STEM MentHER programme currently runs at five South African universities – UKZN, Stellenbosch, the University of Johannesburg (UJ), the University of Cape Town and the University of the Witswatersrand. Learners who are selected join a cohort at the closest university, attending in-person sessions during school holidays in addition to further online sessions. Chetty is the second learner from Hillcrest High School to be selected for the programme which was launched at UJ in 2022 and at UKZN in 2023. Her predecessor, Maia Klijnstra, who was selected to participate in 2023, has begun her studies towards a degree in chemistry this year.
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