The 18-year-old Morgan Pelser will be part of the class of the African Leadership Academy (ALA) in Johannesburg in September. 

This school accepts a total of 130 applicants out of over 2000 applications from across Africa every year. Pelser says what excites her the most is the fact that the school has strong affiliations with Harvard University and its student support is such that most of their students go on to study at Harvard and other top universities across the world.

She is currently in Bloemfontein, working towards an equivalent to matric, namely the Cambridge International AS Level qualification. She says she will be carrying along her three majors, which are mathematics, physics and chemistry, along with the courses she will be taught at ALA. Pelser says the application process was a challenge as it took her eight months to finally get the nod from the academy. She says, amongst other things, to get accepted she had to write online exams, tests and upload a video of a prepared speech about herself.

"Although academics play a vital role at the school, ALA also looks for strong leadership and entrepreneurial qualities in prospective students," she says. She also adds that she will combine her love for science with her experience in business to solve some problems in the world. Pelser has won the national SAGE (Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship) business competition at the age of 16 after she started her first business at the age of 11.

Her English teacher, Dr Ruth Ullyatt, says she has always had expansive dreams and has worked extremely hard to achieve them. "Her acceptance into the ALA will launch her on an exciting adventure into her future and her teachers will be with her all the way!” she said.

OFM News previously reported about the huge surprise that befell a young 13-year-old Pelser when she was offered a sponsorship to enrol in an Entrepreneurship Development Programme Masterclass at the University of the Free State’s Business School.

OFM News