November: Shauvolon Petersen (O1 Charlie)

My name is Shauvolon Petersen, better known as Shauvy. As a young man I was (and still am) very inquisitive and that led me into very many exiting adventures (good and sometimes bad). I saw an opportunity for adventure but also for transformation at the Chrysalis Academy and joined their 01 Charlie group in 2001.

My time at Chrysalis was amazing, especially the 3 weeks at Outward Bound South Africa (OBSA) and the physical training. I especially remember the “solo” session. The time spent alone allowed one to ponder over the direction one’s life is taking and the goals you wish to achieve. During these 2 days I wrote down everything that came to mind and amongst my writings was some poetry. I especially remember a poem I wrote named “Change” which the group leaders at OBSA and Chrysalis then used as an inspirational poem for groups that came after ours (read the poem at the end).  That made me feel extremely proud, but also humbled that I could be part of making a difference in other young people’s lives. This is something I still do today as a youth leader in my church and community. I also remember coming in 2^nd place in a body building competition held at Chrysalis which I guess is why my fellow students at Chrysalis gave me the nickname “Ntsimbi” which means “Iron”.

After graduating from Chrysalis, the integration back into my community was not as easy as I thought, but the self – discipline learnt at Chrysalis, allowed me to stand firm in my morals and values. I became involved in many community projects but shifted my focus more on helping the young people in our church.

I then pursued my passion for writing at the University of the Western Cape with the aim of becoming an Investigative Journalist and Linguist. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, I had to leave University, although I was offered an employment opportunity from them to be a Tutor in my second year. I had to lean on my previous studies from 2000 when I completed my MCSE to further my career in IT.

In 2004 I married my long term girlfriend, Chantal, and together we have 3 beautiful children. With the skills learnt at Chrysalis and through dedication and hard-work I managed to get our little family out of Manenberg and moved to Observatory. I excelled in my career in IT and became an IT Manager as well as Production manager at a local Car Hire company where I worked until 2014. I then pursued a career in Data Analytics and joined a local IT company where I later became Head of Customer Success. From there I joined my current employer, a well-known Financial Services company as a Business Intelligence Integration Developer. Today I am busy completing my studies as a Data Scientist through my employer and I remain grateful for each day as I still firmly believe that, had it not been for my time at Chrysalis, life could have turned out much different as it has for many of my friends in Manenberg.

I have always been an entrepreneur at heart and started dabbling in various business ventures. I started off buying and selling vehicles at the age of 16 and today I am the owner of a few vehicles on a popular e-hailing service. I also started a chemical business selling my products to other businesses and managed to create employment opportunities for many people. In my personal capacity I also started designing websites, online payment portals and databases for businesses in the tourism industry. Entrepreneurship still remains a passion I focus on mainly in my spare time for now.

My Spiritual life and faith has also kept me centered and humbled and allowed me to remain involved in youth upliftment. Today I am a Priest and youth leader in my church and continue to focus on helping young people see their potential, identify and focus on their strengths and make positive choices in their lives. I started a motivational Facebook page recently named “Everyone has a story” where I use the platform to tell uplifting and empowering stories of the positive changes many young people are making in their communities.

Chrysalis was a stepping stone for my future and I hope and pray that they remain a stepping stone for many more young people. Keep up the amazing work Chrysalis and well done on achieving a 20 year milestone.

To the youth I wish to say: Life gives you many opportunities to be a better you but being a better you does not always make you popular. Humble yourself, focus on your goals and strive to reach the goals you deem out of reach. No-one said you are not allowed to. Stay safe during this pandemic and adhere to the rules and regulations. Remember that ignorance has no positive reward and self-discipline will empower you to overcome any temptation.

                                                                                Change

The water is dry

& the sand is wet

When comes the end of the power of Man!

In the light of day

I still see dark.

I move a foot but

The other … is held by Temptation.

I overcome & now I’ve become Prey.

I walk the talk &

I talk the walk, in my streets.

Streets of wet sand & dry water.

I pull steel & gain respect,

Now I walk the line.

I take a step with one foot in the grave.

Tomorrow remain…

My desire was to be rich

But my destiny was at Chrysalis.

I took the final step

Temptation remain…

I see the field with grass like me

The road is long, the desire, even more strong

But destiny has a firm grip

Tomorrow,  …… I welcome thee!

Written by Shauvy