University of the Witwatersrand: Wits student leader wins prestigious travel bursary
Asala, a final year student in the School of Therapeutic Sciences will be jetting off to tour the UK later this year as part of the Abe Bailey Travel Bursary. Asala triumphed over 70 other Witsies who applied.
The Free State born young leader is set to become a member of the Abe Bailey Fellowship, which currently has over 900 members since its 1951 inception.
“I am thrilled about this opportunity”, says Asala. “I believe this opportunity will expose me to a broader worldview outside of my own. I look forward to engaging the leadership elements of the programme, which I think will be vital to my various roles on campus as well as my future career. I also look forward to meeting new people and growing my networks,” she added.
Academically strong and a formidable leader, Asala was recently elected on to the 2022/23 Wits SRC. She is the current Deputy Chairperson of the Health Sciences Student Faculty Council, Chairperson of the Nursing Student Council, and Treasurer of the Noswal Hall House Committee, all the while supporting undergraduate students as an academic advisor in her residence.
The focus of the Abe Bailey Travel Bursary is leadership development and is awarded to South African students as well as junior academic staff members who are academically strong, demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities and serve in their communities.
Before travelling to the UK, Asala and 18 other recipients from various South African universities will meet in Cape Town for three days where they will acquaint themselves with the programme rules, get to know each other, as well as attend a farewell dinner with the Abe Bailey Trustees and former recipients of the bursary.
Thereafter, the group will travel to the UK where they will experience North London, enjoying theatre productions, museums as well as an opportunity to do work-shadowing. The group will be treated to a guided tour of Oxford, Cambridge and Stratford-Upon-Avon. The group will then finish off their North London tour with a visit to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company, with the unique opportunity to watch a West End production of Macbeth.
The London leg of the trip will be followed by sightseeing in Edinburgh, Scotland. Thereafter, the group will enjoy a relaxing countryside stay at The Burn. Throughout their travels, the recipients will be engaging the Abe Bailey tour programme, which is framed around personal leadership and career development, understanding British history, enjoying the culture, as well as understanding the British higher education system.
“Congratulations to Karabo Asala for securing this phenomenal opportunity,” said Dean of Student Affairs Jerome September, who was also awarded the notable bursary during his time as a student. “She truly represents what it means to be a Witsie striving for academic excellence while actively serving her community,” September added.
The Abe Bailey Travel Bursary hosts an impressive cohort of former recipients. Asala not only follows in the footsteps of September, but also the likes of Siphesihle Ndaba, South African actress.