I am passionate about South Africa and its people, and feel privileged to work with youth in education, to transform their lives, and the lives of the generations to follow them. After graduating, I developed strong business, problem solving and management skills, as a strategy consultant for an international consultancy, working in JHB and London. I took a year out and travelled around the world, and during that time realised my passion for South Africa and being part of bringing transformative change to its communities. I developed a fundamental understanding of key development drivers while working as a Director of Tshikululu Social Investments. I subsequently enjoyed the reward of working in the HIV/AIDS sector, assisting companies with impact assessments and their staff and communities with testing, and connecting them to appropriate treatment and care.Ignition Youth Development speaks deeply to my belief in education, and particularly tertiary education, as a powerful catalyst for change. South Africa has a massive skills shortage, but also a population of youth desperate to fill those places. The Ignition Programme works to connect youth with these opportunities, by offering a comprehensive range of wrap-around services. This starts with career guidance, training, mentoring, coaching, work readiness training, psycho-social support and personal development programmes. These services are designed to maximise the potential of financial aid from NSFAS and bursaries, by ensuring students are empowered to succeed in their tertiary studies, as well as in their first jobs.