Job Well Done Award: Rolene Strauss (Miss South Africa 2014)
Last night Rolene Strauss (who is originally from Volksrust in Mpumalanga and is currently studying in Bloemfontein) was crowned as Miss South Africa for 2014 at the Sun City Superbowl. The runners-up in the competition were Ziphozakhe Zokufa (from Port Elizabeth) and Matlala Mokoko (from Johannesburg).
Sadly there was no Miss South Africa pageant in 2013, but on the positive side this meant that Marilyn Ramos (Miss South Africa 2012) had an extra year to do some good before she had to hand over the crown to Strauss.
Rolene is said to have gotten inspiration from the Rector of the University of Free State (where she is currently studying). Strauss had this to say about him “He is not afraid to stand for what he believes in, he loves what he does and gives of himself to his students. I can testify that he wants the best for his students and supports them in all they do. We can all learn from Prof Jansen. Love what you do, stay humble and let the light shine on others.”
It’s also likely that she was already inspired at a younger age. Former Miss South Africa for 2000 Jo-Ann Strauss (no relation) met Rolene Strauss during her reign. She posted this photo (which was taken of her and Rolene) on her Twitter account this morning.
Strauss is very passionate about our country. When she was asked why she wants to be Miss South Africa and what she thinks she can bring to the role, she said: “When someone says ‘South Africa’ I get goose bumps. I have this fire of passion burning inside of me for our country. The opportunities I have received have made me who I am today and I’ve realized that there is so much to give; to our country and our people.”
The Miss South Africa beauty pageant has been around since 1956. The winner of this pageant gets to represent South Africa at the Miss World and Miss Universe competitions in the global arena. Over the years South Africa has had one winner at Miss Universe (Penelope Ann Coelen in 1956) and two winners at Miss World (Margaret Gardener in 1978 and Anneline Kriel in 1974), so let’s hope that this year’s Rolene does well at both these pageants later in 2014.
Rolene Strauss is an inspiration for all South Africans and it gives me great pleasure to announce that she has been selected as the next recipient for Job Mail’s Job Well Done Award. Follow her on Twitter via @RoleneStrauss and send her a congratulatory tweet, she will appreciate that.
For future Job Well Done Awards, keep your eye on the Job Mail blog or follow the #JobWellDoneSA hashtag on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.
Are you feeling inspired by Rolene Strauss? Register as a Job Seeker on Job Mail today! You could find your dream job and we may even present you with an award in the future. Remember to spread the inspirational word about this by sharing it with your friends on your social networks. Sharing is caring after all.
Watch this space for regular updates for Job Seekers on the Job Mail blog.
