'Academia has always captivated me’

After Andries 'Boei' Blaauw achieved a 50% pass in mathematics at the end of matric, seemingly ending his dream of studying chemical engineering.But this only motivated him to try again.Since then, his approach to mathematics has changed significantly and he keeps himself busy writing textbooks for mathematics and science between his actuarial studies.“I think it was an emotional thing for me,” Boei said about his mathematics teacher, whom he greatly admired and who told his father that she thought Boei was only capable of achieving 50%. Since then, he has earned nine academic certificates and degrees in business administration, as well as mathematics and statistics. “Academia has always captivated me... it is my identity,” he said. The following year, he repeated the subject and had to teach himself mathematics. At that time, the son of friends of his parents was also struggling with mathematics in matric. That’s when Boei became a tutor for the first time.Teach yourself In 2018, Boei began his tertiary education, and when the IEB curriculum later made new subjects available to students, Boei decided to master these subjects as well and develop textbooks for them.“This was purely a passion project for me,” Boei said. He explained that he has also taken exams alongside matric students for whom he provided extra lessons. “It’s quite peculiar when they do better than you", he remarked. Regarding the passion for mathematics and science he discovered on his second attempt: “I think I realised that you can teach yourself anything – just sit down and open your book on page 1. I also think it’s a psychological thing. It motivates you when you solve a difficult problem, and in that way, you start seeing the potential to tackle even harder problems,” he explained.Boei views mathematics as the watchdog of the sciences. “If you look at the universe and all the planets, to things like nuclear power – mathematics is the police. Mathematics measures it – everything must happen within the rules of mathematics,” he explained. Mr Supranational contestant Currently, Boei is also one of the finalists in the Mr Supranational competition, with the final taking place on 1 February. He said he was originally self-conscious about his height. “I’m a short man, and I always thought this was only for tall, good-looking people until I met the directors. That’s when I realised it’s about who you are, more than how you look,” he said. Boei explained that his participation in Mr Supranational also serves a purpose for his philanthropic goals. “I want to help young people perform better in school. Some of my students wouldn’t have been able to study if they hadn’t received good scholarships. Without good matric results, they could never have done better for themselves – and when people know who you are, you can also draw attention to your charity work."irene-mari@nmh-hub.com.na

'Academia has always captivated me’

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

Please login to leave a comment

'Academia has always captivated me’

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

Please login to leave a comment

Login