Mondale High learner heads to NASA

Mondale High learner heads to NASA

28 May 2026

Zayaan Abdurahman, a Grade 11 learner at Mondale High School in Mitchells Plain, is one of only eight South African learners selected to visit NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in July.

Zayaan earned her place by participating in the South African Space Design Competition, where teams of high school learners were tasked with designing futuristic space settlements. The competition forms part of a global network spanning six continents.

The inaugural national finals, hosted at the University of Cape Town, saw learners from nine schools compete. From a pool of 109 participants, only eight were selected to represent Team South Africa. Zayaan will be joined by fellow team members Alaya Kaplen (Cannons Creek), Benjamin Honigwachs (Bishops), Dean Weich (Bishops), Ethan Schoombee (Fairmont High), Isabella Ankiah (Parklands College) and Joseph Allderman. The following learners were named as reserves: Abigail Denton (Livingstone High), Aden van Rhys (Parklands College), Marley Kidha (Westerford High), Mia Swart (Westerford High) and Qaylah Omar (Cannons Creek).

Western Cape Education Minister David Maynier shared his congratulations saying: “We are so proud of our Western Cape learners for putting our province on the map in this innovative field. Achievement in scientific fields during their school career will open up a world of opportunities for them after matric, and we thank all the teachers and schools who guided them on the road to success. We can’t wait to see what they can achieve in the international competition!”

Zayaan expressed heartfelt gratitude to her Physical Sciences teacher, Ms Boonzaier. “If she hadn’t introduced us to the competition, I would have missed this opportunity completely. I want to give a special thank you to her,” she said.

Reflecting on her selection, Zayaan said she was overwhelmed with excitement. “I was extremely shocked when I found out that I was chosen to go to Florida to participate in the International Space Settlement Design Competition and tour the Kennedy Space Center. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m grateful for the chance to explore beyond my country.”

She credits her early fascination with space to time spent stargazing with her grandmother. “As a child, I often went camping with my family. My grandmother and I would sit outside at night watching the stars. I always found it surreal that there are millions of burning balls of gas floating in the universe. I guess I have to thank her for my interest in all things space related.”

Zayaan is particularly excited about the opportunity to collaborate with learners from across the globe. “I’m looking forward to competing and meeting students from all around the world. It really shows unity when learners from different places and backgrounds come together to work as a team.”

Despite the pressure of the competition, Zayaan demonstrated remarkable dedication. “Competing in the South African Space Design Competition was stressful, especially since we only had 18 hours to complete our project. I worked overnight with my team to finish our design, and I’m proud of what we achieved. This experience taught me that great effort leads to great outcomes.”

Mondale High School celebrated Zayaan’s achievement in a Facebook post, noting that they are incredibly proud of her and look forward to hearing about her visit to NASA upon her return.