High flyer dreams of getting her wings
STAR pupil Masimbonge Snqobile Mathaba (18) has aspirations of one day becoming an international airline pilot.
The Nkodibe Secondary School
Class of 2023 matriculant soared above several challenges to obtain seven distinctions.
These included preparing for and writing her final exams under the cover of darkness when electricity cut out after a severe storm in October.
The storm blew away the roof of one of the households at her homestead, and the windscreen of her father's car - his sole source of income - was damaged.
Masimbonge said the protracted power outage not only meant she had to endure the difficulty of studying by candlelight, but there was no network so she could not access the internet for study material.
"I charged my phone, tablet, and rechargeable light at school so I could use different apps offline to study when I got home," said Masimbonge.
She said she also relied heavily on study guides and past question papers.
"What kept me going was my dream of becoming a pilot. I know getting funding to enter that industry is difficult, so I knew I had to get great marks," she said.
Being aware of the situation at home - her mother survives on being a seamstress - and longing to land herself in an industry dominated by men, were the winds beneath this bubbly dreamer's wings, who said she has always had a passion for aviation.
"As a child, I wanted to be an astronaut and I think being a pilot is the closest thing to that," said
Masimbonge.
'Where dreams are made' - New York City - is the first place she wants to fly when she gets to captain an international airline.
Masimbonge expressed her gratitude to her LO teacher Miss Mntambo, and Miss Ndwandwe who had been very helpful.
"I'd like to thank God, He carried me through and it wasn't easy. I would also like to thank my mom and dad, they were very supportive. "I would also like to thank all the teachers who were very supportive - some who would stop being teachers and become caring therapists," she said.
Her word of advice to the Class of 2024: "Discipline and focus will help you chart your way to your goals." Acting school principal Sithembiso Mthembu said, despite the slight instability owing to the school not having a permanent head, the improvement from 2022's 90% matric pass rate to 97% is commendable, and the teachers, department and SGB all deserve applause. Mthembu sang Masimbonge's praises, saying since her enrolment at the school, she has never scored below a 90% aggregate.
"Our motto last year was 'A School on the Rise', and this year it is 'Forward Ever, Backward Never'. This year we are targeting a 100% matric pass rate," said Mthembu.