Abstract
Quality high school education can set the foundation for success at university. Successful transitioning from high school to university requires access to effective quality education, which is acquired through support within the education system and an availability of resources. The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) provides a well-resourced educational environment for girls, specifically from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, by affording them the opportunity of gaining access to quality education and support, while promoting intellectual growth and the development of leadership skills, which should create a stable and solid foundation for the successful transitioning of the girls from high school to university. Through qualitative analysis of the experiences of ten previous OWLAG students who are now enrolled at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), this research study sought to investigate OWLAG’s ethos of producing all-rounded students by exploring how the Academy’s support structure shapes the girls’ transition and adaption to university and determining whether a well-resourced high school education leads to academic success within the university. Qualitative research methods were used to gather data through semi-structured face-to-face interviews, and virtual interviews using Zoom. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.
The findings revealed that, through the Black Feminist Theory, OWLAG supports Black feminism by affording Black girls an opportunity to access to inclusive, quality education, by providing financial support for economically disadvantaged girls. Additionally, Schlossberg’s transition theory, in conjunction with Nicholson’s transition cycle, asserted that the participants were able to effectively transition into UJ through guiding principles of support and coping strategies that they gained from OWLAG. UJ’s vision and mission aligns with OWLAG’s philosophy and vision, thus, the students were able to adopt the social, intellectual and leadership skills, and way of life that was imparted on them by OWLAG into their experience at UJ. This study sought to widen the academic knowledge on the transition of girls from a unique school such as OWLAG by considering its role in facilitating tertiary readiness.