Harvard University is known to be one of the most prestigious schools in the world, and one of the toughest to get into.
Known to be a part of the Ivy League, (a group of universities and colleges in the north-eastern United States that are reputable for scholastic achievement and social prestige), Harvard University has been a home to various alumni such as Barack Obama, Lupita Nyongo’o and Fillemon Shikomba, among many others, and Reon Cloete wants his name on that list.
Born in Mariental, the law graduate was recently accepted at Harvard to pursue the Masters of Law programme, and proves that if you give your all, anything is possible. The YouthPaper looked into Reon’s background, digging up the nitty gritty details of how he rose above his circumstances to achieve his dreams.
Coming from humble beginnings, Reon was born in the small town of Mariental, and along with his mother, relocated to Swakopmund where he attended primary school and secondary school at Swakopmund Primary and Swakopmund Secondary School respectively. He recalls only fond memories from both schools, and around his secondary school years, his determination to do something with his life fuelled his interest in attending university.
“At that age, I already knew that I wanted to further my studies at university but I was unclear as to the field I wanted to go into. One day I wanted to be an engineer, the next day I wanted to be a doctor and the day thereafter I could see myself being a lawyer.”
He says that he didn’t work as hard as he should have during his primary school years, but secondary school taught him that it didn’t pay off to slack with his schoolwork, therefore he drove himself to work hard every day. His grades exceeded his expectations in both the Grade 10 and Grade 12 examinations where he achieved astounding results. Officially adopting a passion for law, he eventually pursued the career path.
During his matric year, he completed an internship at a small law firm in Swakopmund which gave him the experience he needed to understand law in practice. “That to a certain extent affirmed that law is what I am passionate about.”
With the qualifications and experience, he was able to enrol for the B. Juris law degree at the University of Namibia (Unam), after he finished high school in 2006. His achievements helped him secure a bursary from Erongo Marine Enterprises for this purpose.
“My mom was definitely an inspiration and she herself is a hard worker. In my opinion, I had it easy compared to what she had to go through. I therefore had nothing to complain about because my only task was to study, everything else was taken care of. So I definitely felt a sense of obligation not to disappoint those who managed to get me to where I was.”
His determination to do even better in university opened more opportunities left, right and centre. “After the first semester at Unam, I performed really well and a decision was made to send me to the University of Cape Town the following year. In 2008, I then enrolled at the University of Cape Town (UCT) for a Bachelor of Laws degree. I received a bursary from Rössing Uranium Limited.”
Driven by the passion to support himself and his family, he managed to successfully complete his law degree in 2011 and graduated in December of the same year. But he wasn’t going to stop there. “In 2012, I decided to complete a Master of Laws degree at the University of Cape Town – this time around I was fortunate enough to receive funding from the law school itself,” Reon said.
In the same year, he managed to secure a job as a teaching assistant, where he presented weekly tutorial classes to undergraduate students at the school.
Reon is one of 180 students from 70 counties who has secured a place into Harvard, and, in fact, is the only Namibian out of the group. Amazing, isn’t it? Well, if you were ever wondering how he got in, here’s what he had to say.
“I applied toward the end of the last year for entry into the Master of Laws programme. It was an intense and rigorous online process. I had to write numerous essays in order to demonstrate my legal writing ability.”
Reon elaborated on his journey to getting into Harvard: “One of Harvard’s main concentrations is to identify students who will go on to become future leaders in their chosen fields of study. I therefore had to demonstrate that I had qualities that would make me a leader one day within my chosen field.”
Hear that, prospective Harvard graduates? Don’t underestimate yourself, because you are capable of anything. Yes, even obtaining a scholarship. Of course, many students are demotivated because they feel competition is too tough, but it never hurts to try. Rising above your circumstances to achieve something great is not always up to the next person, but up to you.
“One of my favourite things to do is go to the gym,” Reon says. “All things fitness and healthy living grab my attention.”
This is definitely indicated through his social media profiles where he loves to portray his lifestyle and healthy eating habits. Otherwise, he goes out to unwind when he’s not busy and occasionally hangs out with friends from Namibia.
Reon says that you should make the world your stage. “Don’t let the lack of resources be an obstacle or a barrier to your dreams. Believe in the kindness of strangers because there will always be that one person who will eventually take note of your hard work.”
He further added “we are each in charge of writing our own history, so let yours read the way you would like it to. Importantly, choose carefully the people with whom you align yourself with because we all tend to pick up on the synergies of the people around us. So surround yourself with people who are on the same mission as you are”.
Reon will leave for Harvard either at the end of July or beginning of August. Sadly, there’s another speedbump he has to overcome in this dream.
I am counting on the Man above to open the necessary doors – He always has. I have also applied for numerous scholarships so I trust that the necessary funding will come from those sources.” Only time will tell what life holds for this young go-getter.
