How One Young Woman is Closing the Achievement Gap for South African Kids

Lebo Sekhotla has experienced a lot of “firsts” lately. Last week, the 23-year-old was the first South African student to receive Laureate International Universities’ prestigious Here for Good award. Her flight to Miami for the award ceremony was the first time she’d ever been on a plane. And next spring, when she graduates from Monash South Africa, a member of the Laureate International Universities network, Sekhotla will be the first in her family with a college degree.

This video showcases Sekhotla’s remarkable journey, which she says never would have happened without access to education. As the co-founder of “Tomorrow Starts Today”—a motivational program for young people that equips them with the tools they need to better themselves through education and community engagement—Sekhotla believes that “only education can drive social change.”