From Fear to the Front of the Room

🌸Feature 2 – Ms Zoliswa Mthembu (2026/27 School RCL President)

Zoliswa Mthembu, School President at Ullovu Secondary School, proudly representing her school as a young woman in leadership. 🌸

There was a time when standing in front of a crowd was one of the things Zoliswa Mthembu feared most. Speaking publicly came with self-doubt and anxiety, and there were moments when she questioned whether she could ever accomplish something great in her life. Today, she stands as the School President of Ullovu Secondary School, a young woman who has learned that leadership is not about never being afraid, but about finding the courage to step forward despite the fear.

Beyond her role as School President, Zoliswa is a Grade 11 learner at Ullovu Secondary School, pursuing the science stream and working towards a future she has already begun to imagine. She is the first-born child in her family and was raised by an incredible mother and father who have both worked hard to support their children and teach them important values. Among her siblings, she is proud to be the first to pursue the science stream and the first to take on the responsibility of becoming a School President. For her, these milestones are not simply personal achievements; they represent the beginning of something new within her family.

Her journey into leadership was not an easy one. Before stepping into a position where she would have to speak, represent and serve others, she was a learner who was deeply afraid of public speaking. She constantly questioned herself and wondered whether she had what it took to do something meaningful with her life. But rather than allowing those fears to determine her future, she decided to challenge them. Her faith became an important source of strength, particularly the words found in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” With that belief, she began stepping outside her comfort zone and deliberately working on her confidence.

Becoming School President therefore represents much more to Zoliswa than holding a title. It is proof that a person can overcome the very things they once believed would hold them back. She sees leadership as an opportunity to demonstrate to others that fear does not have to be permanent and that confidence can be developed when one is willing to take the first step. At the same time, she understands the responsibility that comes with being a young female leader. She is not only conscious of the learners who look up to her at school, but also of her younger siblings who are watching her journey. She wants them to see through her life that anything is possible.

One of the biggest challenges she has had to overcome has been her own self-doubt and the anxiety she experienced when speaking in front of crowds. Learning to trust her own voice has taken courage and persistence. As a young woman in leadership, she has had to learn to stand in spaces where she may not always feel completely comfortable and to speak even when nervousness tells her to remain silent. The experience has not always been easy, but it has been rewarding because every time she steps forward, she proves something to herself.

Her responsibilities as School President also come while she is navigating the demanding academic workload of the science stream. Balancing her studies with leadership responsibilities requires discipline, commitment and careful management of her time. For Zoliswa, however, both aspects of her journey are connected to the future she wants to build. She understands that leadership requires responsibility, while her academic journey is preparing her for the career she hopes to pursue after school.

Much of her strength comes from the people and values closest to her. Her mother is her greatest influence, and her resilience has played an important role in shaping the young woman Zoliswa is becoming. Her younger siblings also motivate her because she knows that they are watching the path she takes. She wants to be an example to them and to show them that they can dream beyond what they may currently see around them.

Her faith is another important part of her journey. Zoliswa describes her relationship with Jesus as a source of courage and guidance, particularly during moments when she feels terrified or uncertain. Her faith reminds her that she does not have to face every challenge through her own strength alone. She is also grateful for the support of the Ullovu Secondary School family, whose encouragement has contributed to her growth as a learner and leader.

While she is proud of becoming the first School President among her siblings and pursuing the science stream, one of her greatest personal achievements is something that may not appear on a certificate: she conquered her fear of public speaking. For someone who once struggled to stand confidently before a crowd, being entrusted with a leadership role represents a significant personal transformation. It is a reminder that some of the greatest victories are not always the ones other people can immediately see. Sometimes, they are the battles fought quietly within oneself.

Her ambitions extend well beyond her current role at Ullovu. After completing Grade 12, Zoliswa dreams of pursuing a medical degree and becoming a medical doctor. This ambition is deeply personal because she hopes to become the very first medical doctor in her entire bloodline. Her dream therefore carries the weight of both personal aspiration and family legacy. She is not only imagining the career she wants for herself; she is imagining a future that has never existed in her family before and working towards becoming the person who opens that door.

Her journey has also changed the way she understands leadership. She has learned that a leader does not have to be perfect, nor does leadership require a person to never feel nervous. A leader can have doubts and still show up. A leader can feel afraid and still speak. A leader can be uncertain and still choose to serve others. For Zoliswa, leadership is ultimately about showing up for people even when it would be easier to retreat.

This understanding shapes the way she views her responsibility towards other young women at Ullovu. She knows what it feels like to doubt yourself because she has lived through it herself. She knows what it feels like to be afraid to speak because she once stood in that exact place. Her hope is that the girls who see her today will understand that confidence is not something reserved for a select few. It can be built, strengthened and discovered through taking opportunities and refusing to allow fear to become the final word.

To the young women and girls of Ullovu Secondary School who may currently be doubting themselves, Zoliswa offers a message rooted in her own experience: do not let fear tell you what you can or cannot do. She encourages girls to step out boldly, trust God and believe that they have what it takes to create a different future for themselves and their families.

Her story is still being written. She is still a Grade 11 learner, still balancing the demands of the science stream, still growing into leadership and still working towards her dream of becoming a doctor. Yet, perhaps that is what makes her story so powerful. She does not speak from the perspective of someone who has already reached the end of the journey. She speaks as a young woman who is still becoming, still learning and still finding the courage to take the next step.

From a learner who once feared speaking before a crowd to the young woman trusted to lead her school, Zoliswa's journey reminds us that sometimes the greatest transformation begins when we decide to confront the thing that scares us most. Her story is not simply about becoming School President. It is about discovering her voice, trusting herself and using that voice to create possibilities for those who will follow.

For Zoliswa, the future is not simply something she is waiting for. She is already working towards it — one courageous step, one academic goal and one act of leadership at a time. And as she continues towards her dream of becoming the first medical doctor in her family, she carries with her a lesson she has already learned: you do not have to be fearless to change your story. Sometimes, you simply have to be brave enough to begin.