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07 April 2020 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Supplied
Nadia read more_use
Nadia Smith aspires to become a music therapist and is grateful for the experience she has gained.
To engage in a service learning project is equal to “one hand washing the other”. This is how Nadia Smith, recipient of this year’s UFS Service Learning Award views the concept of service learning. 

Smith is a third-year BMus student in the Odeion School of Music (OSM) at the University of the Free State (UFS). “It is indeed a privilege to be rewarded as the best Service Learning student and receive the 2002 UFS Service Learning Award,” Smith says.

Service learning has been incorporated into the UFS curriculum as a module in 2020. Students have the opportunity to gain practical experience and apply and execute theory by teaching others in disadvantaged communities who benefit from the service provided by gaining new knowledge and skills. 
Smith’s service module required her to teach at the Brandwag Primary School in Bloemfontein. “On Friday afternoons we had the opportunity to teach music to learners who otherwise would not have been exposed to music education,” Smith says. The service learning module varies from programme to programme. “The Brandwag learners received us gracefully and participated with enthusiasm during lessons. I truly realised the value of these classes when the learners asked us to teach more frequently.” 

Agent of change in the making
Smith strives to be an active agent of change with her involvement in numerous community-based projects including the OSM Music Education Marimba project in Heidedal in Bloemfontein. “The project aims to teach marimba to children from the Heidedal community which culminates in a concert by the children at the end of the year,” she says. This project is in collaboration with the Reach Our Community foundation

Apart from her role in the Heidedal project she has also been teaching at the Lettie Fouche School in Bloemfontein. “It is very rewarding to experience the positive influence of music education on the children and to observe their development in various areas as a result of exposure to classroom music,” Smith says. 

“As a music student striving to eventually become a music therapist I am grateful for opportunities to gain exposure and experience in various fields.”

News Archive

Meet the person behind the new #FaceOfFacebook
2016-05-19

Reuben “R” Davids

The votes have been counted, and we have a winner! After much excitement and a fairly close contest, Reuben “R” Davids emerged victorious from the top five contestants selected by our panel of judges. We chatted with the vibrant and enthusiastic Mr Davids to get a sense of the person who will be our Facebook ambassador for the next year.

What does the “R” stand for?

“Interestingly, some also know me as Vuyo. It's not a name on my birth certificate or anything; I just really like it. And I also coincidentally found out that it means “joy/happiness”, and I do enjoy being happy.”

What is your field of study, and how far along are you?

“I am pursuing a career in the economics field as a third-year BCom Accounting student in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences here at the University of the Free State.”

Are you originally from Bloemfontein?

“Yes, born and bred. I've been a Bloem Kid since day one.”

How is it that you ended up here, studying at the UFS?

“The UFS has always been one of my favourite universities. During my high school period, I was constantly exposed to people from my neighbourhood as well as schoolmates who performing excellently here at UFS, and it didn't go unnoticed. So I have always been drawn to the prestige that UFS carries.”

Which residence are you in, and what do you enjoy most about res life?

“I currently stay at home with the family, but for my first 2 years of study I resided at ConLaurês. What I enjoyed the most about res life is the freedom and independence that you get. It also enables one to participate in campus life much easier. It actually helps one grow and mature into the adult you're supposed to become with all the challenges and responsibilities that you're faced with.”

What do you hope to accomplish during your term as the #FaceOfFacebook?

“I enjoy the art of presenting (as well as being an MC), and being the #FaceOfFacebook will enable me to exercise that skill. Also, my interaction skills will be exercised. That being said, I would like to have those skills developed further by the end of my term as #FaceOfFacebook.”

What is your motivation in your studies, in taking part in this contest, and in life?

“I am an adrenaline junkie. I like taking on challenge; so what I normally do is I set a certain goal for myself and then take on the challenge to achieve that goal. That's my number one motivating factor. And I think I'm also inspired by the failures and successes of myself and of those around me.”

Reuben has already been featured in a #PeopleOfKovsies post on Facebook, and appeared in his first Facebook video covering the Open Day on our Bloemfontein Campus.

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