The Future Starts Here

Celebrating our students who are shaping tomorrow through action today.

At Stellenbosch University, young people are not waiting for the future to arrive - they are actively shaping it.

Through innovation, leadership, research, entrepreneurship and community engagement, our students are making a difference today while preparing for tomorrow. Their stories show that when talent is nurtured and opportunity is created, meaningful impact follows.

Follow our annual Youth Month series to see how our students are shaping the future - today and together.

Image by: Designed by SU

Featured Youth Month Profiles

Growing up in Eldorado Park, Tyrese Human learned early that being different often comes at a cost – but he refused to let others define who he could become. The final-year education student has risen through Stellenbosch University's (SU) student leadership structures while remaining committed to helping others find their voice and sense of belonging.

Campus life

Tyrese Human wants every child to know they belong

When Tyrese Human was eight years old, he made a bold announcement to his family. One day, he declared, he was going to move overseas, buy a limousine and a...

PhD student Keenen Gilbert has spent nine years at Stellenbosch University turning opportunities into acts of service.From food drives and tutoring to student leadership and wellbeing initiatives, he has dedicated much of his university journey to helping others thrive.

Campus life

Keenen Gilbert turns compassion into action at SU

Keenen Gilbert likes to joke that his blood is maroon and gold. After nine years at Stellenbosch University (SU), four degrees and countless leadership roles...

• Having grown up across several countries, Hannah Sieberhagen learned early how to navigate uncertainty, adapt to different cultures and find connection in unfamiliar places.

Campus life

Hannah Sieberhagen turns ideas into communities

For much of her childhood, Hannah Sieberhagen lived a life that few students at Stellenbosch University (SU) can relate to. Born in South Africa to South...

Final-year MBChB student Joy Schoor survived cancer as a teenager and is now pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor. The recipient of the CEFF-Chancellor’s Bursary hopes to specialise in haematology after experiencing lifesaving care firsthand.

Impact

Joy Schoor’s second chance at life inspires hope for others

At 14 years old, Joy Schoor was forced to confront something most teenagers cannot begin to imagine: the possibility of dying before her life had truly begun.

I...

Impact

Risuna Risimati helps to shape the future of student leadership at SU

Long before she became a member of Stellenbosch University (SU) Council, chaired the Academic Affairs Council or served as Chief Justice of the Student Court...

Through his Get Active Project, Adam Venter has raised more than R20 000 for charities while promoting mental wellbeing through sport and exercise. Venter believes community is built through everyday acts of kindness, connection and service.

Impact

Adam Venter believes community is built through everyday acts of kindness, connection and service

When a series of rugby injuries brought Adam Venter’s sporting ambitions to an abrupt halt, he could easily have focused on what he had lost. Instead, he...