A learner of High School Hermanus will head to Armenia to compete in the International Biology Olympiad after ending in second place in the National Science Olympiad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What makes Dani\u00ebl van den Heever\u2019s achievement even more noteworthy is the fact that he had less than 24 hours to prepare for the selection round for the NSO International team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On 13 February Miralese Wiegman, subject head for Life Sciences and a teacher at Hermanus High School, received an email from the National Science Olympiad (NSO), inviting select learners to participate in the selection round for the international team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She immediately asked Dani\u00ebl, a Grade 11 learner with a keen interest in Life Sciences, whether he was interested in taking part. The young man was up for the academic challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The dedicated student took the Grade 11 answer series textbook with him on the bus home to Kleinmond that afternoon to study for the test the next day. On his way to school the next day he went through the content again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dani\u00ebl said: \u201cI decided that I would have to count on my short term memory for this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A short while later Wiegman received the exciting news Dani\u00ebl had ended second in the national Olympiad and had been selected to represent South Africa at the International Biology Olympiad to be held from 3 to 11 July in Yerevan (Armenia).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course this trip to Yerevan is not free, and Dani\u00ebl\u2019s parents had 48 hours to commit to him going and paying the cost a few days later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Manie van den Heever, Dani\u00ebl\u2019s dad, said he had mixed feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI felt extremely proud, but I wondered how I would be able to tell him that we can\u2019t afford to send him,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Van den Heever said he didn\u2019t have much to worry about. When he contacted the school the next day he was informed several businesses had been approached to help fund Dani\u00ebl\u2019s trip. Within 12 hours all his son\u2019s expenses for the trip were covered by the generous support of five people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHermanus High and Nanette Ras, the school\u2019s marketer, are really awesome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt took them less than a day to raise the necessary funds, which simply bowled us over,\u201d Van der Heever said. \u201cWe hardly know how to express our surprise and gratitude to the various people who pitched in to make sure that Dani\u00ebl can seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am still overwhelmed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The school thanked the generous sponsors \u2013 Ryno and Retha Viljoen, Value Chain Solutions, Xpedient Medical and the Rotary members \u2013 for supporting and investing in Dani\u00ebl and affording him this opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also thanked Mrs Wiegman for recognising his potential and encouraging him to chase his dreams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hermanus High\u2019s principal Francois Hooneberg believes Dani\u00ebl will be the perfect ambassador, not only for his school and Hermanus, but also for the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDani\u00ebl is a very hard-working, respectful, well-mannered young man and he definitely deserves this opportunity,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are very grateful to the community and local businesses who made this possible by contributing financially.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The young man also expressed his sincere gratitude to the donors, thanking them for making this opportunity possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said: \u201cI hope this will help so the right people will notice me and make it easier to get a bursary so I can study ornithology, arachnology or entomology.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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