Wednesday 14 February 24: As we recognise and celebrate the academic achievements of our students during 2023 at Prize Giving, we take a look at a few of our academic achievers of the last decade, and where their early efforts and tertiary studies have taken them. It all began here, where their passion for learning was ignited and nurtured.
Stefan Botha, 2013; Gareth Ramsay, 2015, Gideon Boshoff and Dian Fourie, 2016 – their stories:
Stefan Botha (Deputy Head Prefect 2013), has been awarded a rather unique full scholarship over three years for a PhD in the field of pre-eclampsia:
Botha’s PhD will be a joint effort between three universities on three different continents: SU, the University of Melbourne (Australia) and the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Germany). Botha, currently an assistant project manager and study coordinator for SU’s Clinical Mycobacteriology and Epidemiology (CLIME) research group in the FMHS’ Department of Biomedical Sciences, describes this joint research project as very exciting. “I cannot wait to get started!”
He regards himself as immensely privileged and humbled to have received a full Melbourne Research Scholarship that will cover his study fees and living allowance for the duration of his studies abroad.
“I will be studying towards a joint PhD, under the Berlin University Alliance, through the University of Melbourne and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The University of Melbourne will be my home institution where I will spend my first and final year of training. I will be based at the Max Delbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine in Berlin for my second year.”
WBHS is hugely proud of our former Deputy Head Prefects and Head Prefect for their academic achievements at the University of Stellenbosch, and their unique employment at S-PLANE.
Gareth Ramsay (Matric 2015): MEng cum laude (Mechanical Engineering) 2021; BEng Hons. cum laude (Mechanical Engineering) 2019
Gideon Boshoff (Matric 2016): BEng Hons. cum laude (Electrical & Electronic Engineering) 2020
Dian Fourie (Matric 2016): BEng Hons. cum laude (Mechatronics Engineering) 2020
“S-PLANE’s engineering team comprises individuals with a wide variety of experience and exceptional qualifications, drawing on well-qualified young and vibrant engineers for fresh ideas and perspective, managed and mentored by experienced industry specialists and experts to ensure quality and consistency across all activities. The result is an engineering force with energy, focus, experience, and an appetite for product development and problem-solving rarely seen in the industry.
S-PLANE specialises in the delivery of complete certification-ready Automation, Simulation, Communication and Ground Control Solutions for manned, unmanned and optionally piloted aircraft systems. S-PLANE combines market-leading products with system engineering, integration, and testing support services to customise and deliver these solutions. S-PLANE’s solutions and experience span a large variety of aircraft ranging from unmanned to manned fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft and are applied to civil (e.g. anti-poaching, essential infrastructure inspection, etc.) and military missions. Most notably, S-PLANE Solutions are used to create Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Optionally Piloted Systems (OPS), as well as Manned ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) Aircraft that become easily convertible to UAS or OPS.”
