Nothing predestined me to become an astronomer. I moved to Antananarivo for my university studies at the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Ant… - Zara Randriamanakoto

Have the audacity to protect your dreams, if you can dream it, you can do it. If you aspire to be an astrophysicist, start building your path towards your goal. Find a mentor along the way.

Before coming to South Africa, I had very little knowledge about astronomy. At the time, there were no such subjects at university. My knowledge of astronomy was therefore limited to what I had learned in secondary school during geography lessons and through documentaries I had watched.

I am the team leader of Kanty Astronomy Research Group (KARG). We are an extragalactic astronomy group affiliated with SAAO and the University of Antananarivo.