“Ultimately, we’ll preserve solely what we love; we’ll love solely what we perceive; and we’ll perceive solely what we’re taught.” – Baba Dioum, Senegalese forestry engineer
And Dioum’s profound phrases resonated deeply with attendees on the 2025 STEM MentHER induction ceremony, held on the College of Cape City’s (UCT) School of Well being Sciences on Friday, 4 April. The occasion marked the start of a brand new chapter for 11 Grade 12 ladies from throughout the Western Cape, who have been formally inducted into the distinguished STEM MentHER programme. Collaborating faculties included Wynberg Women’ Excessive College; Star School; Rhenish Women’ Excessive College; Claremont Excessive College; Parel Vallei Excessive; Joe Slovo Engineering Excessive College; St Joseph’s Marist School; and Intshukumo Secondary College.
Inspiring and empowering younger ladies
The STEM MentHER programme is a mentorship initiative designed to encourage and empower younger ladies to pursue careers in science, expertise, engineering and arithmetic. The programme pairs highschool learners (mentees) with skilled teachers and senior postgraduate college students (mentors) at universities throughout South Africa. These mentors present invaluable steerage as mentees discover potential profession paths and navigate the important school-to-university transition. The programme is supported by seven main universities together with UCT, Stellenbosch College, the College of the Western Cape, North-West College, College of Johannesburg, the College of the Witwatersrand, and the College of KwaZulu-Natal.
“They don’t seem to be solely getting access to information and mentorship but in addition changing into a part of a neighborhood that may help them of their pursuit of (their) desires and aspirations on the earth of STEM.”
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The UCT division of STEM MentHER is led by Affiliate Professor Shareefa Dalvie, Nakita Laing, Dr Khuthala Mnika (primarily based within the Division of Human Genetics) and Dr Lungile Sithole (primarily based in Division of Integrative Biomedical Sciences). The group are dedicated to nurturing the subsequent technology of ladies scientists and innovators.
“As these younger ladies embark on their STEM MentHER journey, they don’t seem to be solely getting access to information and mentorship but in addition changing into a part of a neighborhood that may help them of their pursuit of (their) desires and aspirations on the earth of STEM,” mentioned Affiliate Professor Dalvie.
Embrace your profession path with curiosity and fervour
Addressing the group of would-be scientists, UCT’s Professor Komala Pillay, the pinnacle of the Division of Pathology, captivated the viewers together with her inspiring profession trajectory – from highschool into the academy, in addition to her roles on the Nationwide Well being Laboratory Companies (NHLS), Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) and the Purple Cross Conflict Memorial Kids’s Hospital (RCWMCH). She inspired the learners to embrace their chosen careers with curiosity and fervour. And he or she highlighted the significance of ethics, integrity, respect, and honesty in attaining success.
Shortly after Professor Pillay’s deal with, Lisakhanya Magontolo, a first-year MBChB scholar at UCT and 2024 STEM MentHER mentee, took to the rostrum and shared her private journey. Magontolo additionally touched on the profound affect her mentor had on her educational and private development and urged the brand new cohort of learners to completely have interaction with the mentorship programme and cherish their last yr of highschool.
