‘Curro is not just an ordinary school.’ These are the words of Grant Gilpin, who has grown from strength to strength after joining the Curro Durbanville family. Today he is a successful business owner, one of Curro’s biggest fans and claims Curro gave him a new lease on life!

Grant came to Curro in 2004 from a neighbouring high school. Back then Boetie Ungerer, one of Curro’s co-founders, was still the Head of High School and he was the one who addressed the learners during Grant’s first assembly as a Curro Durbanville learner. ‘The move to Curro came at a very troubled time in my teenage years. I was on the brink of failure, but when I arrived at Curro it was almost as if I had been given a second chance – a new lease on life as they say.’

Grant has very fond memories of his time at Curro – dedicated teachers, touch rugby, interschool sports days, Mr and Miss Curro and even foam parties – for Grant, Curro had it all. ‘There are so many highlights that come to mind but what really stood out for me was the bonds I was able to form with some incredible people, many of whom I am still friends with today.’

At the end of his matric year Grant had no idea what he wanted to study or what career path he wanted to follow. However, he did not wallow in self-pity. Instead, the eternal optimist decided to find himself a job and figured that with a lot of hard work and a bit of luck, he could climb the proverbial corporate ladder. Grant is very close to his family and credits his parents for his work ethic. He moved with them to Johannesburg, but they all returned to Cape Town in 2017 and he took over a material handling firm specialising in the service, rental, repair and selling of forklifts. ‘I have been a business owner for just over two years now and we have been very blessed to see this business grow from strength to strength.’

For now, Grant wishes to spend as much time with his family as possible. He plans to expand his business in the future and also wants to create opportunities for others. And his hope for South Africa? ‘I would love to see this great country flourish. We can only accomplish this if we all work together. The future generations depend on this.’ Grant is grateful to Curro for the impact it has had on his life, and we are grateful to Grant for his contribution to society. The world needs more people like him.