The University of Pretoria is proud that two of its students took top spots at the bursary awards ceremony of the Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust (CRET), in association with the Shanduka Foundation.

The Student of the Year Award was won by Kabelo Precious Monareng who completed her BCom (Economics) degree cum laude. Another UP graduate, Catherine Reynders, was recognised as a Top Achiever. She obtained 13 out of 13 distinctions in her BEd degree, specialising in mathematics.

The awards ceremony was held in Sandton and celebrated the outstanding students who had shown strong skills and achievements in their fields and had made an exceptional contribution to their communities.

Kabelo Monareng, who is currently studying towards an honours degree in Economics, has shown good academic performance and leadership skills, and has contributed to high impact projects. She organised a career exhibition in a rural area, was involved in charity events and projects with Yes@Tuks, was an executive member of the Tuks Economics Society board and took part in RAG.

Catherine Reynders excelled in matric but gave up her spot at medical school to pursue her true passion: teaching mathematics. It was her dedication and commitment to improving mathematics education in SA that earned her a bursary from CRET. In her spare time she gives back to the community by teaching mathematics to local school girls.