{"id":21002,"date":"2026-08-21T10:00:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T08:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/bloemfontein\/?p=21002"},"modified":"2026-08-20T12:52:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T10:52:09","slug":"she-means-business-2026-merle-la-cock-academic-co-ordinator-at-edulife-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/bloemfontein\/blog\/2026\/08\/21\/she-means-business-2026-merle-la-cock-academic-co-ordinator-at-edulife-group\/","title":{"rendered":"She Means Business 2026: Merle La Cock -Academic co-ordinator at EduLife Group"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Some people discover their calling later in life. Merle La Cock knew hers at the age of seven.<\/h3>\n<p>Today, as academic co-ordinator at EduLife Group, she supports teachers and learners across seven schools, but her purpose to shape young minds through education has remained the same.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen choosing a career, one must look at one\u2019s passion. I wanted to be a teacher from the age of seven, and never diverted from that choice. I followed my passion and found absolute satisfaction in my profession,\u201d she shares.<\/p>\n<p>Her journey, however, was far from straightforward. While studying education, Merle was involved in a serious car accident that left her having to learn to walk, speak and write again. Rather than allowing the setback to define her, she drew on determination and inner strength to continue pursuing the career she had always dreamed of.<\/p>\n<p>Professionally, she now develops academic resources, mentors teachers and helps maintain educational standards across the EduLife Group, multiplying her impact far beyond a single classroom.<\/p>\n<p>She credits her parents for instilling the perseverance that continues to guide her. Those lessons have shaped both her career and the way she encourages others to face challenges with courage.<\/p>\n<p>For Merle, success is measured by purpose and legacy. \u201cIf you know your purpose in life and find happiness within your purpose, then you have personal success,\u201d she concludes.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Merle: 0722307192 &#8211; <a href=\"mailto:merle@edulifegroup.co.za\">merle@edulifegroup.co.za<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Text and photographs: GYPSEENIA LION\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some people discover their calling later in life. Merle La Cock knew hers at the age of seven. Today, as academic co-ordinator at EduLife Group, she supports teachers and learners across seven schools, but her purpose to shape young minds through education has remained the same. \u201cWhen choosing a career, one must look at one\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":21003,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-people","category-sponsored"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>She Means Business 2026: Merle La Cock -Academic co-ordinator at EduLife Group - Get it Bloemfontein<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/bloemfontein\/blog\/2026\/08\/21\/she-means-business-2026-merle-la-cock-academic-co-ordinator-at-edulife-group\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"She Means Business 2026: Merle La Cock -Academic co-ordinator at EduLife Group - Get it Bloemfontein\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Some people discover their calling later in life. 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