Dr. Allison Matroos received her doctorate in Afrikaans and Dutch at Stellenbosch University (SU) on Monday. (Photo: Henk Oets)
The West Coast town of Atlantis is often associated with poverty, unemployment, gang violence and drug abuse. Yet it is also a place of outliers – people who make their community proud. One of these outliers is dr. Allison Matroos, who has now reached the pinnacle of academic success.
Matroos received her doctorate in Afrikaans and Dutch at Stellenbosch University (SU) on Monday.
What puts her achievement in a class of its own is not only the fact that she is the first person in her family to go to university, but the speed at which she did it: Matroos completed her doctoral studies in just two years.
Her achievement comes amid a childhood that was filled with challenges. She grew up with her grandmother, and had to learn the value of perseverance and self-confidence early in her life.
“Growing up in Atlantis means one learns at an early age about survival, but also what the word ‘perseverance’ really means. My journey was not easy. I walked a winding path of falling and getting up again in an environment where one’s dreams are often overshadowed by violence and feel out of reach.”
She admits that doubts often accompanied her.
“If I could be paid R1 for every time I thought about giving up, I would be a millionaire today. Knowing that my mother and grandmother are praying for me and that no one is going to save me, that I am responsible for my own future, kept me going.”
Reward hard work
For Matroos, her doctorate is more than just an academic achievement; it is proof that hard work really pays off.
“It’s not about being the smartest, but about putting in the time and showing up – even in the times when you feel like running away.”
She dedicates her PhD to her partner, McKenzie, and her late brother.
“My partner unwaveringly believed in me and her support made it possible for me to complete it in two years instead of three.”
“I also want my brother to be proud of me from heaven.”
Dr. Allison Sailor. (Photo: Henk Oets)
Research and pedagogical innovation
As a postdoctoral fellow and temporary lecturer at SU, Matroos devoted her research to the way in which stories – short stories and poems – can help students to master Afrikaans as a second language. She firmly believes that literature is the key to self-confidence.
She designed lessons where students not only learn rules, but actively “play” with the language through stories and poems to build their skills and confidence.
“My fascination with the Afrikaans language and literature lies in the affective power of the language, in other words how a low affective filter, as the American linguist Stephen Krashen puts it, is essential for the successful learning of a language.
“Literature offers that ‘safe space’. It fascinates me how a single poem or short story can lower a student’s anxiety and unlock a passion for a language that may have previously been experienced as ‘difficult’ or ‘strange’.”
A writer of format
Apart from research, Matroos is a short story writer. She already started writing in grade 9 and at the age of 21 her first collection of poems and short stories, entitled Kaleidoscopepublished.
“The driving force for the first poem I wrote is my little brother’s death. Writing helps me understand my feelings. I explore themes such as love, humanity and social issues, among other things.”
She sees storytelling as a way to reflect the experiences of communities like Atlantis.
“My research highlights that choosing culturally appropriate texts dramatically increases student engagement and motivation. By telling stories that reflect the reality of our communities, we acknowledge our own existence.
“It repositions our experiences as something valuable enough to study and write about. It is important to capture the experiences of colored people in particular, so that their voices can be heard.”
Message to the youth
Matroos hopes her journey will inspire young people.
“Take control of your life and write your own story. Ask for help if you need it. Being shy won’t get you anywhere.”
Matroos says that now that she has obtained her doctorate, she wants to further develop her model for the use of short stories and poems, possibly for teacher training or curriculum development to examine the gap in Afrikaans education nationally.
She will also continue to write academically and creatively to ensure that the voices from Atlantis and similar places are never silenced in the classroom.