She was arrested and then barred from her degree. Her twin daughters just graduated from the same university together.
Stellenbosch, South Africa (29 March 2026) – In the early 1980s, a young woman named Patricia Grace Rorich was studying medicine at Stellenbosch University when she was arrested for protesting the injustices of apartheid.
When she was released, she was told she couldn’t continue her MBChB degree. She had to switch to a BSc in dietetics, instead. During her studies, she wasn’t allowed to live in residence because she was classified as coloured. She stayed with her uncle in Idas Valley, instead.
Patricia finished her degree, got married, and had twin daughters. Then she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Clio and KD Sass were three years old when their mother died.
Their father, Ernest, raised the girls alone in Pinelands, Cape Town, surrounded by a large extended family. He told them their mother loved unconditionally and saw the good in everyone. He used to tell them that the brightest star in the sky was their mom, looking out for them. The twins only learned the full story of what had happened to Patricia at Stellenbosch when they were in Grade 11, the same year they started thinking about which university to apply to.
“When we heard it, we just knew that we had to come to Stellenbosch,” said KD, as per Stellenbosch University. “Her story meant that we couldn’t succumb to a spirit of victimhood. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, but we can always grow forward if we strive forthrightly.”
They arrived as Maties and spent their first four years living in residences within walking distance of each other. They studied together, supported each other through the pressure of university life, and both rose to leadership positions in their residences.
Walking to class and living in a residence where her mom had been denied held weight.
“It just brings so much humility – sadness for her and for so many others, but overall gratitude,” said KD, as per Stellenbosch University.
Clio also felt her own version of that connection when she realised her chosen field had actually overlapped with her mom’s
“It felt very full circle being in a similar field to what our mother studied,” she said.
The journey didn’t come without challenges. KD’s degree in mathematics typically takes three years. It took her six, and required a Dean’s Concession to complete. She kept going because of the example her mom had set. She mentioned she’d bought her graduation dress in 2024, the year she first thought she’d be done.
“I’m very happy to now be wearing that dress for the first time for my graduation!” she said.
On 25 March 2026, Clio received her master’s degree in food science, awarded cum laude. KD received her BSc in mathematical sciences, biomathematics. They walked across the stage on the same day, at the same university where their mother’s dreams were once taken from her.
Their dad watched from the crowd.
“The fact that Clio and KD are graduating on the same day makes this occasion exceptionally special,” said Ernest Sass, as per Stellenbosch University. “When they were born, I could never have imagined that I would one day be their primary caregiver and provider. The sacrifices and uncertainties along the way were immense – and now, standing at this moment of their graduation, I am left speechless.”
The twins say their mom’s middle name, Grace, described who she was, and what she was denied.
“To live with grace is to show kindness, humility and goodwill,” Clio said. “Grace was not always given to my mother, yet she continued to give it freely to others. She rose above her circumstances, and we can all learn a powerful lesson from her life.”
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