Kim Mathiesen
St. Andrew's College, 2001
M.Phil in Development Studies
Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
St. Antony's and Jesus College
Currently teaching at a state secondary school
Having had a somewhat unusual childhood growing up in Mafikeng, I went on to high school in Grahamstown. My passion for making sense of the past, and in particular of the South African past, led me to study for a B.A. (Honours) and Masters in History at the University of Cape Town. While I loved the academic and social sides of life at university in Cape Town, a large portion of my time was spent working on my other passions -- education and development. I started off working as a tutor for matriculants in Cape Town's townships, and went on to be a founding member and Chairperson of an education enrichment project for primary school students in Khayelitsha.
I had always hoped for the opportunity to study overseas, and was very lucky to attend a school which awards its own Rhodes Scholarship. I did not limit myself to applying for the Rhodes Scholarship though -- there are a range of other academic scholarships and it is really worthwhile exploring all the other options as I did! In fact, I initially came to Oxford on another one-year scholarship before being awarded the Rhodes! Applying for the Rhodes can be a difficult and daunting process - it certainly was for me - but the opportunity to study at a place like Oxford is certainly worth it!
My academic path at Oxford was highly unconventional(!): I initially started a D.Phil in African History, but soon realised that my heart was in development and education rather than pure academia, and switched to the M.Phil in Development Studies. The two year degree was one of the most stimulating and exciting periods of my life, where my mind was opened to the range of complex ideas and debates surrounding the history, economics and politics of developing countries and the practice of development. Learning with and from students from all ends of the globe (India and Ghana to the U.S. and Denmark!) who had been involved in a range of development projects and activism before coming to Oxford was as rewarding as the tutorials and seminars. My own research for the thesis led me back to education in South Africa, looking at the politics of post-apartheid education policy changes.
But even more than the stimulation of the degree, I became immersed in the stimulation of life that Oxford has to offer, from theatre, concerts, bookshops and seminars to debating world issues over coffee in the common room after lunch. I did things that I never dreamed I would do, from captaining and playing for my College's mixed-sex cricket team, singing African songs in a small Rhodes Scholars' choir for Nelson Mandela, and the most fun of all -- playing football for my College's fabulous women's team, nick-named 'The Chihuahuas' after our feisty Mexican striker. Another of my best experiences while at Oxford was being on the committee of the university's African Society. Not only did we throw the best parties and food festivals in Oxford, but it was fantastic to be a part of a larger community of Africans from around the continent: Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia...strange that I had to come all the way to Oxford to do this!
Five years after I first arrived in Oxford, I still have not managed to leave! One thing I did not bank on when coming here was that I would meet my British husband and start my work in education and social development in the UK. I am now teaching in a challenging multi-cultural state secondary school and learning hands-on what really goes on in classrooms! My hope is that this experience will eventually lead me back to South Africa where my passion for education began, but for now I feel lucky to still be living in this exciting and stimulating city and using the wonderful opportunities and experiences afforded me through my time as a student at Oxford University to positively influence the students I work with.