Shakira Seedat: St Dominics alumna reaching new heights at UP

19 February 2026

 

Shakira Seedat earns Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Merit Award at University of Pretoria

Class of 2025 Dux Shakira Seedat has secured 8th place nationally at the Curro Matric Gala Awards and gained acceptance into the University of Pretoria’s Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Merit Award (VCDMA) programme.

Her achievements mark a significant milestone for both Shakira and the St Dominics community as she prepares to begin her studies at the University of Pretoria in 2026.

 

National recognition at Curro Matric Gala Awards

Shakira, introduced as the Class of 2025 Dux, placed 8th nationally at the Curro Matric Gala Awards, positioning her among the country’s top-performing matric learners.

‘Achievements of this calibre demand discipline, resilience, and a belief in one’s own potential,’ the school said. ‘Qualities Shakira has demonstrated throughout her school journey.’

Shakira elaborated, ‘Winning Dux doesn’t feel like standing above everyone else. It feels like quietly realising that consistency matters,’ she shared. ‘It isn’t about being perfect. It’s about perseverance. It’s about choosing discipline on days when motivation disappeared.’

She described the journey behind the certificate as made up of ‘early mornings, late nights, colour-coded notes, self-doubt, and silent prayers before exams’.

‘They are reminders that showing up matters. That effort compounds. That even when I felt unsure, I kept going,’ she said.

 

 

Acceptance into a prestigious university programme

In addition to her national placement, Shakira secured admission to the University of Pretoria and was selected as one of only 40 first-year students invited into the Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Merit Award programme.

The VCDMA recognises academic excellence, leadership potential and social awareness. According to the school, ‘This elite initiative is designed to nurture tomorrow’s changemakers.’

Shakira explained that the programme offered far more than academic recognition.

‘The VCDMA feels meaningful for a different reason. It recognises commitment, potential, and leadership beyond the classroom,’ she said.

She described engaging with business leaders who shared both successes and setbacks. ‘Hearing their stories made success feel less intimidating and more human,’ she noted. ‘They spoke about employability, integrity, adaptability – things no textbook truly teaches, but that matter just as much as marks.’

 

Perspective beyond performance

‘It reminded us that ambition translates into service, into impact, into people’s lives,’ she reflected after visits to places such as Mediclinic Heart Hospital and emphasised, ‘Dux is not a statement that I have arrived. The Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Merit Award is not proof that I have it all together. They are reminders that effort compounds.’

The school summed up her journey by stating, ‘Shakira is a radiant example of this vision brought to life.’

As she steps onto the University of Pretoria campus, Shakira carries both national recognition and the perspective gained from years of steady effort.

‘Not perfection. Not pressure. Just progress,’ she concluded. ‘And for now, that feels like enough.’