Kamogelo Tswai‚ of Mitzvah School in Morningside‚ Johannesburg‚ achieved top marks in mathematics‚ physical science‚ geography‚ life sciences‚ life orientation‚ Sepedi home language and English first additional language.
The school‚ which opened in 1987 as a crisis class for matric pupils during education protests at the time‚ assists young people from Alexandra to achieve matric success with sponsored tuition‚ textbooks and transport to and from school. It only offers Grade 12.
When Tswai finished her Grade 11 year at Alexandra High School‚ her results were not too hot‚ so she took a leaf out of the book of her role-model and fellow Alex local‚ Lucas Manhica. He also attended Mitzvah and is now studying chemical engineering at the University of Michigan in the US.
“In Grade 11‚ he didn't achieve such fantastic results but came here and got seven distinctions. I was in the same boat as him.”
With the support of her principal Lesley Rosenberg - who also took her shopping for a matric dance dress - her teachers and her parents‚ Tswai has now achieved the results she needs to study medicine.
This despite the difficulties of living in Alexandra‚ a place she describes as polluted with refuse and noise.
“In Alex it is so tough to study during the day because there is so much noise. There are three taverns in my street‚ so it was impossible. They always play their music so loud and it distracted us from concentrating so we had to sleep during the day and study during the night‚” Tswai says.
Rosenberg says that when Tswai joined Mitzvah she was an introvert.
“When we interviewed her [to join the school]‚ the science teacher said‚ 'I haven't seen you since you were little. Isn't your father Elliot?'”
Tswai's father Elliot had worked for science teacher Margaret Elfrienk as a gardener in the 1990s. She taught him maths and science at her kitchen table back then. Years later Elfrienk taught his daughter.
Elliot‚ who now owns a satellite television installation business‚ says he is extremely proud of his daughter and encourages her to remain disciplined: “She must continue working hard. It's not the end of the journey. It's just the beginning.”
Tswai will use the next two months to give back to her community.
“During this time from‚ January to February‚ I'll be doing a project … helping Grade 7 learners [in Alexandra] improve their mathematics skills‚ science skills and their studying skills.”
Tswai was accepted to the University of the Witwatersrand's medical programme on Thursday. She awaits an acceptance letter to study medicine at the University of Cape Town – her first choice. Her studies will be funded by property developer Zenprop.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
