Siobhan Clulow (22) from Durbanville soon learnt in her teens that life does not always pan out according to plan. At age 17, she was diagnosed with Keratitis, a rare eye disease that causes inflammation in the cornea and leads to a loss of vision.

Siobhan relates: “During my grade 11 exams, I noticed that after studying for hours my vision would become more blurred. I initially thought it was as a result of tiredness, but after a visit to an eye specialist, it became evident that the increased blurred vision was more serious."

After undergoing numerous tests and treatments, doctors recommended that Siobhan have immediate eye surgery to avoid a complete loss of vision.

Says Siobhan: “News like that at 17 was a huge shock to me and my family. I always had 20/20 vision, and then suddenly it was no more the case. I remember when some of my classmates at school learnt about my disease and the operations; they were not too fazed about it all. That's understandable, because at that age everyone is mainly thinking about himself or herself, but, believe me, it taught me resilience and gave me a new perspective on life."

As a result of the deteriorating effects of the disease, Siobhan had to give up on her dream of studying accounting. Instead she decided on making a difference in the education sector, by pursuing a BEd (General Education) (Foundation Phase) degree at Stellenbosch University (SU) which she has passed with seven distinctions. She will receive her degree at the third graduation ceremony of 2017 on 5 December at 17:30.

Siobhan continues: “Having experienced first-hand the lack of facilities and support services for visually impaired learners in the public school system, I hope to one day help change that, by working on the ground in the basic education sector, or possibly even opening a practice with my mother, who is currently pursuing her studies in education psychology."

Before coming to SU she knew that the workload at tertiary level would be more intense, but she never expected lecturers 'to hold her hand' throughout the course of her four year degree. However, Siobhan says she never thought she would receive such a generous chunk of the tremendous support the university has available for its physically challenged students.

She explains: “Throughout my studies the university has really given me top notch educational and service support to help me successfully complete my studies. Also the level of support and encouragement from the Braille Department to help visually impaired students has been immensely good."

Siobhan will return to SU next year and pursue a postgraduate degree – BEd (Foundational Phase).

She puts it as follows: “I love this university.  It has helped me grow as an individual and expand my worldviews by creating a diverse and open-minded community and student life.  My fervent hope is that I can impart that same change in future generations through education."