Grace Gadise, an 18-year-old student in her first year at Cida City Campus, was chosen out of hundreds of applicants to represent SA at a high- powered event in the US, in July.
With many other young people taking part in the US's Presidential Classroom - a prestigious programme for promising students - she got the opportunity to enter Washington DC's halls of power.
Young leaders on the programme are taken behind the scenes at the US capital for seminars and discussions, meeting congressmen, journalists, presidential appointees and other Washington insiders.
They visit Capitol Hill, attend a briefing by the Central Intelligence Agency at the US Department of State, and take part in programmes involving technology, business, national security, law and justice, the news media and international relations.
Gadise found the experience thrilling.
"It was amazing to meet all those young people from around the world," she says.
The journey itself was a revelation to her. "Before then I had never been further than three hours out of Johannesburg, to Rustenburg, my family's hometown," she says.
Gadise, who is the daughter of a domestic worker, grew up in Johannesburg and matriculated at Hyde Park High School. "It's your average school and some people are really snobbish. Here it's so different. Everyone is friendly. I walk down the corridor and I hear Hi Grace, Hi Grace, Hi Grace'."
Cida has taught her to know herself. "It's so important to know yourself before you make a decision. If you don't know yourself, how can you deal with the pressures of being in a trading room, for example?"
Gadise plans to do a masters degree in business administration. "Then I would love to work in London for a while," she says.
Gadise's closest friend at Cida City Campus is Zanele Tshipa from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Tshipa learnt about Cida from a friend of her father - Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert, author and co-founder of the Institute for a Democratic Alternative in SA.
"I had been trying to get into university for about 12 months," she says. "There is a lot of competition to get into university. You need a lot of money and it's hard to come by bursaries."
Her fortunes turned when she was accepted by Cida. Tshipa lives in Student City in Berea, accommodation arranged by Cida.
"I am so grateful to Cida for seeing my value and not my nationality; for taking me in and giving me a home away from home and a chance to excel. I have been taught self management here. I think I will make a good leader because the principal skill of a good leader is to know how to manage yourself. That's the most important thing that Cida has taught me.
"My ambition is to get a computer degree and I want to go to Japan to get it. I would also like to work in Japan."
Tshipa is going to take part in the Cida Extranet programme (see page 22) teaching people in her local community, in October.
Because of the barriers she encounters at Zimbabwe's schools, she will teach adults - an intimidating prospect for a 19-year-old. "How do you teach someone who is old enough to be your father?" she asks. "How do you introduce yourself? It's not as easy as introducing yourself to youngsters. It's a challenge but I am looking forward it."
Both students are deeply appreciative of the value provided by Cida, at almost no cost to themselves.
