Top scholars honoured at Wits
- Wits University
Vice-Chancellor shines a spotlight on first-year scholarship recipients, celebrating academic excellence and the transformative impact of education.
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Wits University, played host to the recipients of the 2024 Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship Award.
This annual event, held at the Wits Club on April 7, 2024, aims to celebrate and present certificates of merit to the new recipients, in the presence of their families, school principals, and donors.
The scholarship is a prestigious recognition granted to the top 20 deserving students who excelled in the national senior certificate exams and are currently enrolled in their first year at Wits University. This award is automatically extended to the highest achievers upon registration and covers their tuition for their entire degree. This comprehensive scholarship celebrates academic achievement, offering significant financial support to alleviate the costs of pursuing a University education for students and their families.
Vilakazi extended a welcome to all attendees, acknowledging the pivotal role played by educators and school principals in nurturing the talents of the scholarship recipients.
"The groundwork you have laid is solid and critical to the mission at hand," he said.
He thanked the donors who support the scholarship programme, before turning his attention to the parents of the scholarship recipients, recognising their support and sacrifices, which have culminated in the success of their children, "The sacrifices you have made, and support you have given, is now coming to fruition," he said.
However, the spotlight of the Vice-Chancellor’s address truly shone upon the scholarship recipients themselves, whom he hailed as the "young men and women of the moment”. He commended their academic achievements and celebrated their boundless potential, "I stand before you today with a heart full of pride and admiration for each and every one of you”.
Quoting the renowned Ghanaian philosopher Kwame Nkrumah, Vilakazi emphasised the transformative power of education in unlocking the doors to freedom and opportunity.
"Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom," he said.
Vilakazi invoked the legacy of Wits University as a beacon of innovation, knowledge, and intellectual curiosity. He challenged the scholarship recipients to embrace their role as torchbearers of academic excellence and agents of change in an ever-evolving world.
He highlighted the value of critical thinking and intellectual curiosity in driving scientific discovery and innovation, by quoting Albert Einstein. "The important thing is not to stop questioning".
Wits University offers a range of scholarships and bursaries to matriculants including the University Entrance Scholarship, the Vice-Chancellor’s Equality Scholarships, and the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship Awards were created to motivate and reward top matriculants. Find out more about the Wits scholarships.