Janet Jobson's heart pounded furiously as her name was called out. Finally the moment she had dreamed of all her life but never thought would come true, was just seconds away.
The 22-year-old Johannesburg student was about to meet her hero, Nelson Mandela, the man she had only read about in books and seen on TV.
When her opportunity finally came, Jobson smiled politely, shook Mandela's hand and had her photo taken with him.
She was one of 15 students from across the country and Africa who were awarded the prestigious Mandela Rhodes scholarship on Tuesday.
In addition to having their full tuition fees paid and carrying the title of "Mandela Rhodes scholar", the students also got their biggest reward when they got the opportunity to meet the distinguished patron of the scholarship.
"Meeting Mandela was a mind-blowing experience. It was definitely the highlight of my life," said Jobson who plans to study political science and history at Rhodes University this year.
"It is something about his presence that is astounding, that makes you know you are sitting in the presence of greatness," she said.
The Mandela Rhodes Foundation is aimed at giving young Africans who display a good academic ability, the opportunity to study at any university in South Africa and to gain invaluable experience to take back to their communities.
This is only the second year the scholarships have been awarded to promising students.
Last year, eight students from the Western Cape were awarded the scholarships.
This year, the scholarships have been extended to students from across the continent. Six of the scholars are from outside South Africa with three coming from Zimbabwe and with one each from Namibia, Swaziland and Rwanda.
Former president Mandela, who met the students on Tuesday at the Nelson Mandela Foundation offices in Houghton, Johannesburg, spent some time with the students and wished them the best for their future studies.
He got a hero's welcome when he entered the room without the aid of his walking stick.
When Shaun Johnson, the chief executive of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation complimented Mandela for not using his walking stick, Mandela said: "I met an arrogant young man who gave me all sorts of instructions".
Johnson said Mandela was in good spirits after returning from a holiday in Mauritius.
For Zethu Dlamini, 25, from Mbabane in Swaziland, who will be doing an honours degree in media and communications, getting the scholarship meant ploughing something back into her impoverished community.
"I live in a very patriarchal society where everything is given to men. This scholarship means the world to me because it gives me something to take back to my community.
"I believe that success is not about you but what you can give back," she said.