Friday (November 15, 2013) marked a special occasion at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) as this was when the winner of the prestigious Abe Bailey Bursary was announced at a celebratory event.
Euvette Taylor, a fifth-year Homoeopathy student at DUT, was announced as this year’s recipient of the bursary, making him the fourth student to be awarded this bursary since the University started participating in this initiative five years ago.
The Abe Bailey Bursary is awarded to a selected group of university students and junior lectures around South Africa who have a good academic record and also possess great leadership qualities. Recipients of this award embark on an all-expenses-paid three-week educational tour of the United Kingdom (UK) where they get to visit top universities, go to parliament and meet with the Members of Parliament and possibly cabinet ministers, among other activities.
This enriching once-in-a-lifetime opportunity exposes candidates to a different kind of milieu whilst also affording them a chance to grow intellectually.
Each year, universities send forward a list of recommended candidates who are then reviewed by a specialised judging panel. Over and above having exceptional leadership qualities, the winners of this bursary need to show a strong service ethic to:
• effect greater understanding and co-operation among those with various language and cultural backgrounds;
• foster enterprise, commitment and effective participation in a common future; and
• promote South African unity.
According to Dr Lavern Samuels, Director of the International Education and Partnerships (IEP) Office which facilitates the application process for the bursary, the Abe Bailey Bursary has been in existence for 70 years and for the first 65 years, there had never been a winner from DUT. It was only five years ago after the establishment of the International Education and Partnerships Office that the University started participating, by identifying eligible students.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as winners get to experience things that no normal tourist gets to see. They get an inside view of the world, visiting some of the world’s best universities. They make networks that they take forward into their careers for the rest of their lives. Past winners of this travel scholarship have gone out to become judges, cabinet ministers, Nobel Laureates and one even became the President of South Africa. This shows the gravitas and calibre of the previous winners,” said Dr Samuels.
With his outstanding leadership qualities, 23-year-old Taylor is the perfect candidate for this award. He has had a good academic record since enrolling into the Homoeopathy course, and is one of very few students who have finished the five-year course in record time. According to one of his lecturers, Dr Jabu Ngubane, Taylor has a profound passion for his field. “You have an amazing love for human life and helping the sick. You are going to go far in life,” she said.
Dr Ashley Ross who heads the Department of Homoeopathy said, “You have grown up so much since the first time I saw you when you were in your first year. For us as a department, it’s very heartwarming to see what you’ve become and we’re thrilled at the opportunity that has been presented to you. We are quite confident that you will grasp it with both hands and come back a bigger man and able to do all the things you want to do.”
Also congratulating Taylor was Professor Lina Puckree, the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. She said, “This is a great achievement and opportunity for you at this young age. You are a great example to other students as you have shown great leadership skills. The fact that you were chosen from so many applicants shows that you are eligible for this bursary.”
Adding to his academic achievements, Taylor is also playing a pivotal role as a Residence Advisor in one of the DUT residences. He coordinates many of the academic programmes for students living in the residences.
On winning this sought-after bursary, Taylor said he is thankful to his mother, Dr Ross, his lecturers and friends for it was through their support that he was able to reach the milestones in his life. “I was brought up by my mother after my father passed away while she was pregnant. Even though I grew up without a father, there were so many people who filled that gap. One such person was Dr Ross who was always willing to help me. We have an open-door policy in the Department of Homoeopathy and that has made us a family in essence. Winning this bursary is not just an achievement for me but for my mother and the Department alike,” Taylor said.
He added that while hearing people talk so fondly and highly of him was great, striving to do well in all aspects in life is second nature to him.
Thinking back on Euvette’s childhood and the hardships of bringing him up, Pam Taylor said her son had always been an exceptional child. “I sell cardboards for a living and I can tell you that it was a struggle to make ends meet. But through God’s grace, my son has grown up to become a doctor like he had always aspired to be,” she said.
Naledi Hlefane
Pictured from left: Professor Lina Puckree, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences; Dr Ashley Ross, Head of Homoeopathy Department; Euvette Taylor, fifth-year Homoeopathy student who won the Abe Bailey Travel Bursary; Pam Taylor, winner’s mother and Dr Lavern Samuels, Director of the International Education and Partnerships Office.
