After hearing “we regret to inform you” 32 times, most people would have turned back and given up on their dream – but Bianca Vermeulen isn’t most people.
Free State, South Africa (16 April 2026) – It takes a special kind of heart and determination to hold onto a dream so tightly and for much longer than society’s expectations, that even when met with every blow and numerous rejections, the dreamer still refuses to throw in the towel. Bianca Vermeulen possesses that determination and is that kind of dreamer, holding steadfast to her dream of becoming a doctor despite the odds.
For eight long years, Bianca held onto a dream that the world repeatedly told her was out of reach.
She clearly recalls the rejection letters – frustrating, disheartening, but never final. Her dream did not dim. Not even when she finally began her studies in 2020 at the University of Free State (UFS), and her eyesight started to fail during her second year due to Myopia (short-sightedness). It affected her life quietly, blurring screens, lecture notes and street signs to the point that she lost her driver’s licence. It blurred hope itself.
More hurdles followed with financial pressures and administrative complications.
“It felt cruel,” she admits.
“Like reaching shore after years at sea, only to be pushed back by another wave. It was heartbreaking to think that after overcoming years of rejection, I might still lose the opportunity I fought so hard for. I cried. I prayed. I questioned.”
But Bianca chose to persevere, and grace met her along the way to finally reach her final year. When she received her final results, stating that she had passed her MBChB, she was overcome with thoughts of the years of tears, prayers, waiting, disappointment, and the courage it took to try again.
Now graduating during the April graduation ceremonies at UFS, she is not just a qualified doctor but living proof that failure does not have to be final. After being rejected 32 times from medical school, she can now call herself Dr Bianca Vermeulen. A childhood dream finally realised!
“This moment feels like the first clear sunrise after a long storm. Quiet. Humbling. Almost unbelievable. This moment means that the girl who refused to stop believing in her purpose was right to hold on. It means endurance mattered. It means faith bore fruit.”
What a journey, and what an inspiration you are. For holding onto a dream you knew you were always destined for, Congratulations to you, Dr Vermeulen!
Sources: University of Free State
Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google.
Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes and hear their incredible stories:
Or catch an episode of Good Things with Brent Lindeque or our Weekly Top 5 below. The videos here are always changing, updated with the latest episodes from these two shows. Both are part of Good Things TV, created to bring South Africans balance at a time when the news can feel overwhelmingly negative. Our goal is simple: to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in our country – and to leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.
by 