Born into a close-knit Catholic family of seven, she was the sixth child. By most accounts, this position in the family might have meant being overshadowed by older siblings who had already established their roles in the household. Yet, for a little girl growing up in Athlone, Cape Town, the opposite proved true. Rather than struggling for recognition, she developed a strong sense of independence early on - a quality that would shape her path toward academia and ultimately lead her to become Professor Maria Florence at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).

Professor Maria Florence. Image: Shelley Christians/UWC

This week marks a significant milestone in her career: her inaugural lecture at UWC, held on Monday, 13 October, where she officially steps into her role as a full professor. Traditionally, the inaugural lecture is a celebration of academic achievement. She holds a PhD in psychology and has held leadership roles including Head of the Psychology Department and Chair of the Biomedical Research Ethics Committee at UWC. Prof Florence has worked at UWC since 1996 and previously at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).

To her siblings, she is affectionately known as Mia. Her childhood was shaped by love, discipline and a sense of togetherness. “My parents were semi-literate, but they valued education to a certain extent. My mom was a seamstress, but childcare was more expensive than what she could earn. So she stayed home and took in other people’s children to earn a little more,” said Prof Florence. 

From these modest beginnings in Vanguard Estate, Cape Town, Prof Florence carved out a life of purpose — one marked by resilience, quiet rebellion, and a deep commitment to the community.

Despite financial hardship, her mother found creative ways to nurture learning. “She used to take the newspaper and turn it sideways. I’d make the letters across the columns with a crayon. I was very little, but when I got to school, I already knew my letters.”

Prof Florence’s early education at St Teresa’s Catholic School in Welcome Estate, Athlone, instilled discipline and a sense of self-worth.

“We were clearly the poorest kids at the school. My mother made our uniforms and made no effort to make them look like everyone else’s. That taught me not to care what people think of me.” But the transition to public school was jarring. “I shot to the top of the class because there was no competition. The boys pushed us around. It was a lot to adjust to.”

It was an eccentric English teacher, Zubeida Desai, who later became a prominent UWC lecturer and Dean of the Education Faculty, who, according to Prof Florence, lit the spark of her academic ambition.  “She was tiny and used to sit in the middle of the table. She made me realise that I could make going to university a reality.”

But her father disagreed. “He said: ‘No. Nobody else went. Why would you want to go? I said, ‘I’m going. With or without your support’.”

Eventually, she was awarded a bursary to study for a BA degree at UWC with majors in English and Psychology, with only the support of her sisters. Yet, when she graduated, it was her father who beamed the brightest.  “He enjoyed the limelight,” she quipped. 

Prof Maria Florence and her mother.Image: Supplied

Her academic journey at UWC was marked by hard work and a touch of serendipity. “I was a research assistant to (former UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor) Tyrone Pretorius in his younger years. He encouraged me to teach. I was terrible at public speaking - but later I realised I could do it.”

She still had the “gnawing teaching bursary noose” around her neck, so she completed a postgraduate diploma in education in 1992 and started teaching at Manenberg and Macassar High. However, she soon realised that teaching was not for her. So she pivoted, opting for a full thesis Master’s in Psychology, which she did part-time and completed in 1998. 

After graduating, she packed up and left Cape Town, taking up an internship at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in Pretoria. Around this time, her sense of independence had led her to elope and marry her varsity sweetheart, William Koopman, whom she met while they both worked as orientation mentors. “I only earned R3,000 a month back then, and nobody spoke English. Even black people spoke Afrikaans. Speaking not much Afrikaans at the time, I quickly had to adapt and learn to survive.”

In 1995, her father passed away, and she had the urge to return “home”, doing so without a job. She ended up lecturing at UWC, her “second home”, and then took up an administrative post in the psychology department.”

Her daughter, Lyndall, was born, and her husband, who had a son from a previous relationship, was glad to be back in Cape Town and closer to his child.

Professor Maria Florence, husband William, son Vincenzo and daughter Lyndall. Image: Supplied

Her academic career blossomed despite the added parental responsibility. “I applied for a lecturing post. Back then, UWC was an exceptionally collaborative and supportive space. The focus was on teaching and not so much on research and publications, and the world was less competitive. Sometimes I do miss that.”

Now Deputy Dean of UWC’s Community Health Sciences Department and due to be sworn in as a full professor, she remains deeply connected to psychology and her students. But her heart lies with her research on addiction and quality of life. 

“I’m not interested in more collaboration or collecting more data,” she said. “I’m interested in taking what I know and working with communities to have the kind of impact that is needed.”

Her work benefits communities throughout the Western Cape, including Fisantekraal in Durbanville, Cape Town, the Langeberg region, and various Cape Flats communities, with a focus on pregnant women and early adolescents facing challenges related to substance use. “The drug dealers are getting them involved very early. We’ve been asked to develop interventions for Grades 6, 7, and 8 — ages 10 to 13. “Substance use is a contextual problem. It’s not about willpower. It’s about history, poverty and learned helplessness. We stigmatise people instead of understanding them.”

Prof Florence dreams of safe spaces for open conversations. “On campus, students know who’s selling drugs, but they can’t talk to anyone who can help. They support each other in problematic ways. We need spaces like our mental health lunchtime talks at the University’s Centre for Student Support Services - where they too can speak freely and without judgment.”

Her journey teaches us that when you follow your own path, even against the odds, you can change lives - not just your own, but entire communities.