CAPE TOWN – A Grade 11 learner from Mondale High School in Mitchells Plain is among eight South African learners chosen to visit NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in July.
Zayaan Abdurahman earned her place through the South African Space Design Competition, which challenges high school teams to design futuristic space settlements. The competition is part of a global programme that runs across six continents.
From nine schools to one team
The first-ever national finals were held at the University of Cape Town, where learners from nine schools took part. From a group of 109 participants, only eight were chosen to represent Team South Africa at the International Space Settlement Design Competition.
Zayaan will be joined by Alaya Kaplen, Joseph Allderman and Qaylah Omar from Cannons Creek; Benjamin Honigwachs and Dean Weich from Bishops; and Ethan Schoombee from Fairmont High.
Named as reserves were Abigail Denton (Livingstone High), Aden van Rhys (Parklands College), Marley Kidha (Westerford High) and Mia Swart (Westerford High).
A love of space born under the stars
Zayaan says her fascination with space began during family camping trips, where she and her grandmother would sit outside at night gazing at the stars.
“As a child, I often went camping with my family. My grandmother and I would sit outside at night watching the stars. I always found it surreal that there are millions of burning balls of gas floating in the universe. I guess I have to thank her for my interest in all things space related,” she said.
She described her selection as a complete surprise. “I was extremely shocked when I found out that I was chosen to go to Florida to participate in the International Space Settlement Design Competition and tour the Kennedy Space Center. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m grateful for the chance to explore beyond my country.”
The teacher who opened the door
Zayaan gave special thanks to her Physical Sciences teacher, Ms Boonzaier, for introducing her to the competition.
“If she hadn’t introduced us to the competition, I would have missed this opportunity completely. I want to give a special thank you to her,” she said.
The competition was no small challenge — teams had just 18 hours to complete their designs.
“Competing in the South African Space Design Competition was stressful, especially since we only had 18 hours to complete our project. I worked overnight with my team to finish our design, and I’m proud of what we achieved. This experience taught me that great effort leads to great outcomes,” Zayaan said.
She also shared her excitement about meeting other young people from around the world. “I’m looking forward to competing and meeting students from all around the world. It really shows unity when learners from different places and backgrounds come together to work as a team.”
Province celebrates its young space pioneers
Western Cape Education Minister David Maynier offered his congratulations. “We are so proud of our Western Cape learners for putting our province on the map in this innovative field. Achievement in scientific fields during their school career will open up a world of opportunities for them after matric, and we thank all the teachers and schools who guided them on the road to success. We can’t wait to see what they can achieve in the international competition!”
Mondale High School also celebrated Zayaan’s achievement on Facebook, saying the school is incredibly proud of her and looks forward to hearing about her experience at NASA when she returns.
Help Zayaan get to Florida
Visit her BackaBuddy campaign to help cover Zayaan’s travel costs.
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