Botha completed her MEng degree in Chemical Engineering at Stellenbosch University (SU) and started her career at Sasol in Secunda. She later left Sasol for Mossgas (now PetroSA) and then headed over to England, where she has lived for the past 20 years. For more than a decade, she worked as a consultant and contractor for the oil and gas industry, but changed focus and started volunteering as a school governess after she had her children.

But this daughter of a Stutterheim sheep farmer also wanted to plough back. She was encouraged by SU’s director of Donor, Alumni and Stakeholder Engagement in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland to start the Stutterheim STEM bursary. Grade 12 girls from Stutterheim High School who apply to study in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) field receive preference when the bursary is allocated. In the absence of suitable candidates from this particular school, candidates from other rural Eastern Cape schools are considered. "I wanted to help prevent someone from entering the world of work with a mountain of student debt," she explains.

"It’s only been two years since I started raising funds and investing in the bursary. It’s not huge – just over £1 000 per year (about R28 000). The successful candidate receives the bursary annually until she graduates, subject to the pass requirements of the Bursaries and Loans Office. "It’s good to be able to give something back to the community, and especially to young women from rural communities in the Eastern Cape, who often face unique challenges."

The first bursary recipient was chosen from three possible candidates. Thanks to the bursary helping to cover her final-year fees, this young black woman from Qonce (King William’s Town) successfully completed her BSc in Human Life Sciences.

She is a major proponent of diversity. "Diversity is needed in any environment to prevent having a bunch of people who all think alike," she says. "I started in a very male driven environment, and one’s opinion is often not considered, even though you might well be the one member of the group who sees things from a different angle. "If everyone is from the same culture or background, they can’t question things properly. As women, for instance, we bring a willingness to listen and work in a team – that nurturing element we have within us. It's very valuable."

Not one to sit around idly, as her children got older, Botha decided to embark on a new adventure. "England has a fantastic state schooling system with passionate teachers. I thought it was time I tried something different; my kids were growing up. It just felt right for me to become a science teacher." In this dynamic environment where she "seldom sits still" and "can talk with her hands", Botha is now living her passion to help develop the next generation of scientists and engineers.