A group of 73 Stellenbosch University (SU) students were recently honoured with Rector’s Awards for Excellent Achievement in recognition of their accomplishments in various spheres of Student and campus life.

Themed “Sustainable innovation; pursuing excellence together”, the annual awards on Tuesday, 18 October 2022, acknowledge student excellence in academics, leadership, culture, social impact, sport, and service provision.

Innovators for the future

Top management, faculty deans and student leaders joined award recipients at the ceremony hosted at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS).

SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers congratulated this year’s awardees, adding that they were the “innovators we need for the future”. The Rector also expressed the hope that this recognition would encourage the recipients to continue doing meaningful work wherever their future journeys might take them. “I congratulate you on your hard work and dedication, not only over the past year, but also the tumultuous two pandemic years. You persevered, and achieved something quite extraordinary,” De Villiers said.

Having received 124 applications and nominations this year, the Rector’s Awards ceremony is a key event on the SU calendar, said Prof Deresh Ramjugernath, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching. “It’s an opportunity to come together to celebrate the hard work and exceptional achievements of our students,” he said. “However, at the same time, we must also acknowledge that our students’ achievements are facilitated by our dedicated staff, who create a nurturing environment for students to flourish and thrive, and consequently meet their full potential. We are celebrating that full potential tonight.”

On the right track

The keynote speaker, SU’s former Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, Prof Eugene Cloete, encouraged students to continue their innovation journey, as they were on the “correct trajectory.” He highlighted clarity on goals and expectations as well as recognition of people’s achievements as two vital requirements for promoting innovation and unlocking human potential. “If you do not acknowledge other people, you bankrupt them emotionally,” Cloete said. He encouraged the award winners to take their potential to the next level by continuing to renew their knowledge, set new goals and raise their expectations.


Cloete concluded his address by underlining the importance of respect in achieving success in life. “I want you to live with respect. Respect is important because it creates the possibility for us to co-inhabit this planet. Respect means acknowledging that we all have different ways and that we need to create a space where we can all live together and to our full potential. May you have a spectacular future.”

And the winners are …

The following students received awards:

Academics (comprising the Rector’s Award for Excellent Achievement as well as the SU medal for top master’s student, by faculty)

AgriSciences

Mia Olga Schutte
Anika Keuck
Karlene Lambrechts
Carla Dippenaar (top master’s student)
Arts and Social Sciences

Julia Snyckers
Pieter Conradie
CJ le Grange
Mark Lynch
JZ Donnelly
Tamlyn February
Sophia Rabie
Lara van Heerden
Anita Faul (top master’s student, Psychology)
Economic and Management Sciences

Petrone Moolman
Jessie Shannon Leukes
Julia Fiona Bishop
Peng-Chen Liang
Christa Jean Albertyn
Danielle-Verné Louw
Shannon Linda Barry
Christa-Mari de Lange
Mitchell Ashton van Heerden
Caryn Jill Bishop
Dané Odendaal
Jaco du Toit
Lauren Eileen Morrell (top master’s student, Sustainable Development and Management)
Engineering

Charl du Toit
Elijah Cishugi
MC Harraway
T Hettasch
William Dommisse
Johannes Koekemoer
C Oosthuysen (top master’s student, Civil Engineering)
Law

Estelle Hailey Hislop
Hugo Uys
Mitchell John Brooks (top master’s student)
Medicine and Health Sciences
Christine Vivier
Kayleen Esau
Faye Gen Bure
Tasha Ainsworth
Suewellyn Francis Zimmerman
Lumé Koorts
Abigail Kate de Villiers (top master’s student, Epidemiology)
Military Science

​​Khodani Sherrif Tshivhi (top master’s student, Technology (Maths))
Science
Brendan Watling
Jean Durand
Graham Mitchell
Gerhard Gustav Woithe
Jessie Midgley
Kyle Harper Erwin (top master’s student)
​Theology
Lourens Bester (top master’s student)
Sport

Franco Rheeder (boxing)
Clayton Saker (hockey)
Stephanie Botha (hockey)
Anna Thornton-Dibb (RSA water polo)
Ross Stone (RSA water polo)
Bianca Augustyn (rugby)
Students’ Representative Council (SRC) Award for Exceptional Achievement
Prof Eugene Cloete

Social impact
Marcel Lee Adams
Adam Venter
Abongile Quthu

Academic resilience
Michè Snyders

Leadership
Sebastian Foster
Vhudi Ravhutsi
Precious Nhamo
Estelle Hislop
Makabongwe Kaseke
Rinae Musekene
Susanna Hendrina du Plessis
Luigia Nicholas
Alysa-Abby Kekana
Karabo Mogashoa
Christo van der Bank
Thimna Sotyato