Seven students of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences recently attended Stellenbosch University's Prestige Dinner for first-years.

Pierre du Plessis, Willem Ackermann, Jacob Hugo, Olivia Viljoen, Monique Jakob, Lyle Ressouw and Julie-Anne Gerber were part of a group of 32 students who were honoured at this function. The group comprised of students who were first-years in 2015 and achieved the best results in their respective faculties' year-end exams, as well as two Extended Degree Programme (EDP) students.

Each of the students were asked to invite the lecturer who contributed the most to their academic success in their first year to the dinner.

Willem and Pierre, both students in Actuarial Science, indicated that Prof Sarel Steel of the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science had the greatest impact on their academic success. Jacob and Julie-Anne, also Actuarial Science students, chose Prof Florian Breuer of the Department of Mathematical Sciences, while Lyle (also Actuarial Science) chose Ms Maricia Krige.

The two Accounting students, Olivia and Monique, invited Ms Sybil Smith and Ms Nabeelah Daniels, both associated with the School of Accountancy.

Olivia's message to Ms Smit was: "You were always considerate and you made students feel welcome. The friendliness with which you always greeted us in class generated new energy. The attribute I admire most is your preparedness. You conveyed thorough knowledge of the accounting world with passion."

Ms Smit regarded it as an honour to be invited by a student. "It definitely motivates me and it is nice to get positive feedback. I really love lecturing and it is good to know that I can make a difference. It also reminds me of the responsibility we have every time we stand in front of a class, to teach not only technical knowledge but also enthusiasm and to a limited extent life skills. We have an influence on our students – either positive or negative – and that is something we must always remember."

Julie-Anne, a former learner of Bellville High School, said it was very satisfying to receive recognition and acknowledgement for hard work.

"Now we know it does not go by unseen," she added.

Pierre du Plessis, who matriculated from Somerset College in 2014, said he was proud to receive an invitation to the event since he had worked really hard.

"The dinner was a great experience and it was a privilege to get to know Prof Steel a bit better."

His message to Prof Steel was: "You had a positive influence on my academic career and I am sure you will continue to have a lasting impact on all of your students. Stellenbosch University is fortunate to have a lecturer of your calibre and I would like to thank you for inspiring me and assisting me to achieve academic success."​

PHOTOS:

Photo 1:​ Prof Pierre Olivier, Director: School of Accountancy and Vice Dean (Accounting)​, Olivia Viljoen, Sybil Smit, Monique Jakob, Nabeelah Daniels, Maricia Krige and Lyle Ressouw.

Photo 2: Pierre du Plessis, Prof Sarel Steel and Willem Ackermann.

Photos by Anton Jordaan, SCPS