How does Crimson Education connect learners with tutors and mentors?
We help them to gain admission to a top-ranked university in the US or UK. Once they are signed up to our programme, the students are assigned to a best-fit match strategy consultant, tutor and mentor who has already walked the path to the world's top-ranked universities.
Our teams work with students leading up to and during the application process. Students receive a personalised programme covering all areas of academic tutoring, standardised test prep, leadership and extracurricular advising. Essentially, we take good candidates and make them great applicants, giving them a competitive edge against international students looking for a place at universities abroad.
Are the mentors and tutors experienced in many fields of study, or are they quite specific?
Crimson students have access to a pool of more than 2,000 experts in their area who have aced it themselves. Whether it is for a medical admission test or for Crimson's athletics' scholarship, tutoring and mentoring is specific, targeted and comprehensive.
What do you enjoy most about the work you do?
As someone who has always worked in the education sector in SA, I've never had to look far to find meaning and purpose in my work. Working at Crimson, I get to engage with students and families, helping them to realise their goals and dreams and overcome their challenges. It's an amazing thing to be in a position to transform lives. I feel privileged to be a part of that.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
A vet, so, as an animal-lover, I became a vegetarian instead. Later, I wanted to be an artist, but after studying art at university, I realised I was better with other people's art than my own. I then taught English and art, through which I became an expert on the revised South African curriculum at the time. This led me to writing and educational publishing. It feels like education was a choice I made that has enabled me to effect change and transform the lives of students in SA.
What is the most important piece of career advice you have ever received, and who gave it to you?
The best career advice I received came from my mom. She encouraged me to do what I loved, even when it was art - something I wasn't as good at as I thought. This has always stuck with me, and I'm now in a position to encourage students to do what they love, what they're interested in, and what they're good at, even if they don't know what "job" or "career path" this will lead to.
What important skill did your very first job teach you?
I remember staying behind late at school when everyone else had gone home and working on new material for my students. I was happy to engage in the revised curriculum when people around me were against the changes. It gave me an opportunity to do something new, build my expertise and have an impact on people around me. The lessons of hard work, always learning and courage to try new things have never left me...