Academic brilliance and incredible humility
Randburg - Intelligent and hard working student all set to conquer the world of finance.
‘Girl power’ is the phrase that immediately springs to mind when meeting Patience Lehola, an exceptional young woman who will be leaving St Stithians soon for the world of finance.
Patience attended Rembrandt Primary School in Lombardy East, where she was chosen to participate in a scholarship programme run by the NGO SSP.
Out of the 2 500 children from disadvantaged backgrounds, but showing superior academic ability who applied for the scholarship, the number was whittled down to 40, then to five.
Patience was among those chosen.
The work ethic at St Stithians is paramount, and Patience has more than risen to the challenge during her years at the girls’ college.
Her marks in all subjects have been consistently high, with maths well into 90 per cent.
Needless to say, her chosen career path is in Chartered Accounting.
She has secured a scholarship from Deloittes, and will be attending either the University of Johannesburg (UJ) or the University of Witwatersrand (Wits).
This humble, incredibly polite young woman credits the attitude of her teachers to her success.
“The opportunities we are given at Saints allow all students to reach their optimum level in academia and in sports, for example. Other interests are also catered for, such as photography, drama, music, public speaking….the list is almost endless! All the teachers I have had have been welcoming and understanding and have ‘given their all’ to each and every student.”
“My family is behind me all the way, also. My father always wanted me to have the best education possible, and after his passing, my mother kept encouraging me to achieve. My baby sister Mpho is very, very clever and at five, constantly surprises me with her solutions to problems!”
And for the future?
“Apart from concentrating on my studies and becoming a successful Chartered Accountant, I want to give back to my community in Lombardy East. There are many highly intelligent matriculants in the Free State who do not know of the opportunities offered to them. I would like to identify these and assist them to apply for scholarships, for example.”
When meeting young adults like Patience, with their academic brilliance and their mature outlook on life, we can be assured that the future of South Africa is in safe hands….
