Sea cadets awarded bursaries in naval studies

TWO sea cadets on the TS Woltemade base in Lakeside have been awarded SATS General Botha Old Boys’ Association bursaries to further their maritime studies at Simon’s Town High School’s Lawhill Maritime Centre in Simon’s Town this year.

Sea cadets Gracia Pillay and Juvandre Williams were the recipients.

Four sea cadets from the TS Attakwa and TS Woltemade: Cloe Griewelaa, Meche Mini, Sylvino October, and Jamie van Rooyen were also awarded maritime bursaries from undisclosed sources to attend the Lawhill Maritime Centre.

Sea cadet training ships attract youth from the age of 13 to 17 with an interest in nautical, maritime and naval matters. It is one of many units located around the country in the coastal and Gauteng region staffed by volunteer adult instructors.

Captain Tony Nicholas, chairperson of the SATS General Botha Old Boys’ Association, said their bursary fund intended to establish a long-term relationship with the Sea Cadet Corps to provide suitable maritime scholars, and thereby keep their organisation relevant to provide much-needed funding for studies to those with the aptitude, but lacked the funding.

The maritime economy would ultimately benefit from a core of enthusiastic, well-trained and specialised job seekers, he said.

Gracia Pillay, of Kuilsriver, attended Simon’s Town High School where maths and science are included in her curriculum. She said she was “honoured to have been given the opportunity to study maritime subjects” by both the General Botha and the Lawhill Maritime Centre.

She aspires to be a harbour pilot, and said this opportunity was the start of her journey towards this goal.

She started as a sea cadet mascot at the age of seven.

Juvandre Williams of De Gama Park, who chose maths and science as subjects with the view to a future career, said his dream was to be a marine engineer.