Every SSP scholarship starts the same way,  with an exceptional Grade 6 learner who has more academic promise than the opportunity to match it. What happens next is different for every scholar. For Terry Mwesingwa, Class of 2010, it led from Redhill School to medical school at the University of Cape Townand, today, to a career as a healthcare entrepreneur with global experience in establishing an urgent care network and aiming to make quality healthcare more accessible in South Africa.

Terry Mwesigwa’s journey with the Student Sponsorship Programme (SSP) began at Littleton Primary School, where she first learned about the scholarship. This opportunity paved the way for her high school years at Red Hill School .

High school was a period of immense personal growth. Terry navigated a demanding daily commute of four hours in traffic, using the time to read five books a week. Beyond academics, she blossomed as a public speaker and debater, eventually becoming the debating captain and the first black head girl in the school’s history by 2010. She also emphasizes that the mentorship she received through the program was instrumental in helping her navigate the complexities of her teenage years.

“SSP supported me in a number of ways. So the financial component is the easiest one to point to, but there was also mentorship and it was through the mentor that I got, that I was able to process some of the teenage experiences that I was having that I didn’t really have anyone else to talk to about. And so the mentorship component of the scholarship was really important.”

Following matriculation, Terry’s path was driven by a desire to improve public health in South Africa. She was accepted into the University of Cape Town’s medical school, where she continued her commitment to service by tutoring high school students in surrounding townships. After qualifying as a doctor and completing her internship, she moved into public health research and management consulting at Bain & Company. This experience culminated in a peak career moment: supporting the national government during the 2021-2022 COVID-19 vaccine rollout. She later pursued an MBA at Stanford and gained experience in the United States healthcare system, returning home with a renewed focus on amplifying her impact in the communities that shaped her.

“ As a result of the SSP bursary and everything that it led to, I was able to buy my mother this house that she now lives in.”

This Women’s Month, her story carries particular weight. Terry is one of a growing number of SSP alumni now leading in fields where women, especially Black South African women have historically had to fight twice as hard for a seat. Her path traces a straight line back to the same belief that shaped SSP’s founder, Teresa Clarke, whose own national honour is celebrated this month, highlighting that talent is not the scarce resource. Opportunity is.

Watch her full story below.