Argo inspires Future Stars to Dream it. Believe it. Do it.

With the slogan 'Dream it. Believe it. Do it', this initiative is helping young people under the age of 21 to do just that. Presented by Argo and supported by leading brands, Capitec, NYDA, TSB, Mindset and Metro FM, Future Stars not only motivates young people to believe in themselves, the power of education and their dreams, but also helps them to reach those dreams.

Inspiring young achievers

In an effort to move away from the focus on what is wrong in the country, the Argo Future Stars Awards are focused on inspiring leadership. The awards are about leaders actually taking the lead and focusing on the immense potential we have in our country, so that we can inspire others to believe in our future. It is an innovative campaign that inspires our future stars, and at the same time inspires others to realise that our youth are phenomenal.

As the founding company behind the initiative, Argo has a passion for using the power of multi-media to inform, involve and inspire young achievers and the people that influence them. For 16 years they have been supplying media solutions, such as education-focused magazines and handbooks and interactive projects. And after seeing the success of their Stars in Education initiative that recognises inspiring and dedicated teachers, they decided to start recognising the future stars of South Africa too, and to inspire young people to believe in themselves.

Stellar finalists and agents of change

Once again, this year's 10 finalists have been chosen through the online voting platform after these entries campaigned for votes from their friends and peers on Sastudy.co.za, one of South Africa's premier sources of information on institutions, course requirements, financial aid and the lifestyles of students across beautiful Mzanzi. The following finalists will be competing to make their diverse dreams become a reality:

• Mudanalo Mukhuwana from Cape Town is showing the world that women can succeed at anything, by pursuing her career in Marine Engineering. "I want to be the Chief Engineer of a ship in 10 years and to prove women can do that! Most of my efforts are targeted at inspiring women in the way I live my life."
  
• Mokibelo Makgato from Polokwane dreams of becoming a Chief Financial Officer. Giving back whenever he can, he helps young students through an accounting tutoring service that offers motivation, assistance and personal support: "I want to build an empire. I owe it to society to give back, because I know what it's like to be lost."
  
• Ishmael Ramushu from Polokwane wants to own his own business in architectural construction, to make money and look after his mom. "I decided to pursue Architecture as a career because I have a talent for maths and drawing. I know what I want and I work hard to get it."
  
• Karabo Maloka from Klipgat lives out his passion for accounting by volunteering to teach the young children at his old school. Having earned a distinction in accounting, his dream is to become a chartered accountant. "The best part of the volunteering is that I love being around people."
  
• Reitumetse Molaoa from Bloemfontein is working towards becoming an environmental biotechnologist. As a mentor to young students, she aims to be a role model to help young people discover their potential. "I hope someone will invest in me, so that I can pay it forward one day."
  
• Penny Mchunu from Pretoria believes that she can change our country by choosing to become an economist and she has a burning desire to bring fairness in spend across our country. "I can't overlook unfairness. I need to fix it. And I'm doing it for my mom and the children out there."
  
• Dumisa Thethiwe from Tsomo is studying Entrepreneurship and Leadership and wants to open an NGO for youth development in his community. "I believe that youth leadership skills are the key to the future. I want to take the youth to their full potential and to get them back to school."
  
• Katlego Malatjie from Limpopo is en route to becoming a software developer, system analyst and technician. While studying, he uses his IT knowledge to help other students by fixing their computers. "I have a business plan and I want to use it to groom others to run the business - and create employment."
  
• Zikhona Ngumbela from Cape Town dreams of working with businesses, getting them to change our communities by using their CSI effectively. "I am a change-maker that believes in change - and I don't need a job title to do it. I want to leave a legacy and be a youth leader."
  
• Carroll Tshabane from Limpopo dreams of becoming a doctor, and with patience, kindness and love for children she wishes to specialise in paediatrics. "I want to inspire others by being educated in a community where very few people are." She wants to be a leader at Malumelele as there are no doctors in the community. She leads at church and leads in life too.

From dreamers to leaders

Simply by sharing their dreams in the online Future Stars entry forms on SAstudy.co.za,and then getting the most votes from the public and their peers on the website, these 10 finalists all stand a chance to be one of the five winners. The Top 5 winners will be announced on 20 June 2013 at Education Week, running from 20-22 June at the Sandton Convention Centre, and each of them will receive prizes to the value of R10,000 towards making their dreams a reality.

The Future Stars campaign is inspiring more and more young people every year, but above that, it is recognising excellence and building a better future for South Africa through education. None of this would be possible without the involvement of the Future Stars sponsors, all of which share the same commitment to shaping a better tomorrow by helping our young stars of today become the future leaders. These sponsors are Capitec Bank, The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), Mindset, TSB, Metro FM and Argo.

The Future Stars campaign is making a real impact on the education landscape of South Africa, with real stories of hope and inspiration, and real young leaders taking on the role of Future Stars.

To be a part of recognising and building excellence in the education landscape of South Africa through the Future Stars campaign, contact Argo sponsorship manager, Lauren Bright on +27 (0)83 577 6622 or email az.oc.ogra@nerual.

For further information, go to www.sastudy.co.za.