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17 April 2018 Photo Johan Roux
Be an ambassador for hope - Miss Deaf SA Chantelle Pretorius
Chantelle Pretorius, Miss Deaf South Africa 2017/2018, spoke at the April graduation at the UFS Bloemfontein Campus. Spotlight photo: Rulanzen Martin
Chantelle Pretorius, Miss Deaf South Africa 2017-2018, delivered a speech filled with hope at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Faculty of Education April graduation ceremony.

“In the words of Tata Nelson Mandela, education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world,” said Chantelle.
 
A journey filled with triumph 
Chantelle’s journey to becoming a UFS graduate and foundation-phase teacher at Barkly East Primary School in the Eastern Cape is an inspirational one. When she became a UFS student in 2012, she showed promise on the football field and represented the university’s first football team from 2013 to 2015. She graduated with a BA in Education in 2015.
 
“Each person will experience the journey of life differently, but when we let our light shine, we unconsciously allow others to do the same,” said Chantelle. She encouraged the graduates by reminding them there is no obstacle too big to overcome.
 
No discrimination and people-centred university
“I am honoured to stand here today, before you all, as an ambassador for hope. I have never focused on my weaknesses but rather on my strengths. I pushed myself to be a better person in life and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to obtain a degree from the UFS, even though I am a deaf person. The university does not discriminate against anybody with a disability. So I salute this institution for allowing me to make my dream of becoming a graduate come true,” said Chantelle.

Pillars of strength and inspiration
She reminded the graduates that teaching was about being a pillar of strength and inspiration to the children they will teach. Chantelle said success did not happen overnight and that the graduates would need to live life with the right approach. She encouraged them to be enthusiastic, positive and motivated teachers. “Be the teacher that touches the lives and hearts of the children you teach because in the end, it is not what you say that matters but rather how you made the child feel, that will be remembered,” she said. 

News Archive

Kovsies beat Pukke at USSA tennis tournament
2010-01-13

 The Kovsies women’s team that participated in last year’s USSA tennis tournament were, from the left, front: Elrien de Villiers and Nicola Dormehl; middle: Rensia Henning and Christine Keyser; back: Jeanne du Plessis and Elizna Barnard.

 

The men who participated in the tournament were, from the left: Willem Steenkamp, PW Holtzhausen, Duke Munro, Janine de Kock (manager), Marnus Kleinhans (coach), Divan Olivier, HB Steyn and Reon Henning.
 

Last year Kovsie tennis concluded on a highlight when the men’s tennis team of the University of the Free State (UFS) won the USSA tournament that was held in Grahamstown for the first time in twenty years. The UFS women’s team also excelled by going through to the final round, where they had to bow the knee before the team of Stellenbosch University.

The result of these excellent achievements was that two of the five players that were selected for the USSA women’s training group were Kovsies. They are Rensia Henning and Christine Keyser. Elrien de Villiers was selected as the player of the tournament but unfortunately she could not be included in the group because she is a Namibian citizen.

The men’s group existed of eight players, of which four are Kovsies. They are Reon Henning, Duke Munro, Willem Steenkamp and PW Holtzhausen.

Members of the USSA training group will participate in training camps, tournaments and trials to prepare for the Confederation of University and College Sport Association (CUCSA) games (where all the Southern Africa countries participate) in Botswana that will take place from 5-11 July 2010. The training group will also participate in the World Student Games in 2011.

The Kovsies men’s team kick-started last year’s USSA tournament by beating the team from the University of Cape Town with 6-1 and later on the same day beating the team from the University of Johannesburg with 5-1. The next day they beat the team from the Tshwane University of Technology with 7-0 and the team of the University of Pretoria with 5-1. According to Ms Janine de Kock from KovsieSport at the UFS this is an excellent achievement, taking into account that Tukkies had ended in second place at the 2008 tournament.

In the semi-finals Kovsies played against the North-West University and beat them with 4-1. After this triumph in the singles matches the organisers decided that the doubles would not be played.

The women’s team won their matches against the Universities of Pretoria, Cape Town, Rhodes, KwaZulu-Natal and the Tshwane University of Technology. The tournament ended with Kovsies and Maties as the only two unbeaten teams and Stellenbosch University walked away with the laurels. The North-West University did not have a women’s team at the tournament at all.
 

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