From LEAP student to teacher and leader
James Malope gra
duated from LEAP 1, Cape Town in 2007. He graduated with a Bachelors of Education from the University of Western Cape in 2011. He now works as an English and Life Orientation teacher at LEAP 4 (Diepsloot). He is also the Instructional Leader in the senior management team of the school, the Head of Humanities, and a Future Leader Site Manager, meaning he manages the LEAP trainee teachers at LEAP 4.
How do you feel LEAP has impacted your life?
“I got to LEAP 1 at the beginning of 2006, after being expelled from my previous school because of behaviour issues, so Mr Gilmour and Mrs Copeland gave me a chance to redo my Grade 11 and 12. I got to understand my own feelings, take responsibility for my own actions and the long term consequences of my actions and care more for others and that’s why I became a teacher. After LEAP I became more aware of the lifestyle that I was living and how I can change it, because I could understand myself much better. It made me realize that I had so much to give back to others as a person; I really care about those around me.
What is your favourite/most meaningful part of the LEAP code of conduct, and why?
Learn from your mistakes – I have made so many mistakes in my own life, but because of this value, I have learned to forgive myself and try to not repeat them.
