Greenwich Free Press (https://greenwichfreepress.com/around-town/giving/local-smith-college-club-hosts-discussion-about-south-african-scholarship-program-215153/)
On March 24, the Smith College Club of Greenwich-Stamford recently held an event in the Historic Barn of the Greenwich Historical Society featuring a panel discussion about the PBS-featured documentary, “Where I Became.”
The award-winning film tells the story of 14 young South African women of color who received full scholarships to attend Smith College during the apartheid years, and how this opportunity completely changed the trajectory of their otherwise circumscribed lives.
Through interviews and an historical retrospective, the audience learned how higher education allowed the women to become the leaders and scholars they are today.
Leading the discussion was Greenwich resident and Smith College alumna, Jane Dawson Shang, who co-produced the film with Tandiwe Njobe, a native South African who received one of the scholarships and graduated from Smith College in 1994. Njobe joined the discussion on a large screen via Zoom as did four other beneficiaries of the program. The panelists related their personal experiences of growing up under the apartheid system and the emotional journey to a college in a far-away land where their intellect was respected and nurtured. They all exhibited a profound gratitude for the Smith scholarship and the education it enabled.
Also present at the event was Kate Geis, the film’s director and an Emmy-award-winning documentary producer and director and associate producer, Council Brandon. Smith College Professor Emeritus, Peter A. de Villiers, who was instrumental in the creation of the South African scholarship program, which operated from 1986 to 1994, also joined the panel via Zoom.
For further information on Where I Became or to learn about private screening opportunities, please visit the film’s website, whereibecame.com or email: [email protected]
For further information about the Smith College Club of Greenwich-Stamford, please contact President Nancy Fogwell at [email protected]
The 2024 Youth of the Year winner, selected from a list of outstanding candidates, was Greenwich High School senior, Omar Badr.
View all Giving Posts →
A thorough inspection on Saturday by Gap Mountain Consulting Engineers and the school district’s Facilities Dept, and approval by the DPW Building Inspection Division, the school was deemed safe to be occupied again.
View all Schools Posts →
Please consider supporting our journalism directly by making a donation. Learn more here.
By Maureen Murphy, The Children’s School Head of School The cluster of skills that we call “literacy”—the ability to speak clearly and listen with care, to write imaginatively, and to lose oneself in the magic of reading—is a fundamental area of learning in the early years. Learning to read, write, and speak expressively is the gateway to deep learning, success in work, and a meaningful life of relationships and community.
Welcome to the GFP 2024 Camp Guide. We continue to add new camps as summer nears.
© Copyright 2024, Greenwich Free Press
This site built with Project Largo from the Investigative News Network and proudly powered by WordPress.
Back to top ↑
