When the Iimbovane Project recently reconnected with a few of its alumni, Romeo Nissen, who participated in Iimbovane as Grade 10 learner at Swartberg Secondary School in Caledon, agreed to share his experiences as a varsity student.

“My name is Romeo Nissen, and I am currently studying a Bachelors in Education (Senior Phase in Natural Sciences and Mathematics) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). University is a totally different ballgame from being at school. The biggest difference for me is in the ‘support’. On school you always had someone watching your back and motivating you to keep going, but at university that is something you don’t see. My favourite subjects at university are Mathematics, Science, and isiXhosa. Mathematics has always been a favourite subject of mine and it really helped me a lot to get where I am today. Science has changed since it is all in English at university whereas I came from an Afrikaans school. IsiXhosa is something new and learning something new is what I love to do.”

Romeo also had fond memories of his participation in the Iimbovane Project and, as a future science educator, he explained how the project’s hands-on approach gave him a better understanding of the scientific method.

 “I learned a lot while taking part in the limbovane Project, especially when it comes to science. To be honest, I never knew there were so many different kinds of plants, if you think of all the Fynbos species. I really enjoyed the way in which we were taught. It was not just learning but also feeling. The fact that you can hear about an ant and also see it under a microscope really boosted my learning experience. The hike to the waterfall was also amazing – seeing the beauty of creation is a wonderful experience.”

“I am a shy person and would enjoy sitting in my corner all day with my phone. What I learned participating in this project is that when working together, a lot can be accomplished and nothing can stand in your way.”

We at Iimbovane wish Romeo all the best with his career in science education!