NEWS

Oprah Winfrey proud' of academy graduates

13th January 2012

Oprah Winfrey is preparing for a final "outing" with her soon-to-be high school graduates.

The billionaire philanthropist spent $40 million to create the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, a single sex boarding school in South Africa that officially opened in 2007.

The school's first set of graduates will walk the stage this weekend.

Oprah is excited about participating in the activities leading up to graduation.

"I'm lunching today with the 12th-graders [this is our] last outing," Oprah posted on her Facebook account Thursday. "As graduation is not customary in South Africa this will be the first for a high school."

The campus is high-tech and includes computer and science labs, a library and a wellness centre. The 72 students who will be graduating have exciting academic prospects to look forward to.

"[The girls will] go their separate ways to colleges all over South Africa and the U.S.," Oprah wrote. "A bittersweet day to bask in all the memories of the past 5 years."

A dozen students received full scholarships to attend university. The graduation will be held on Saturday.

Tags: