Graduation season is upon us and the graduates cannot hide their excitement. Receiving an award of recognition after completing your studies is a major achievement, especially as friends and families from all over, gather to support and celebrate the graduate.
The North West University describes the ceremony as an essential, symbolic recognition of a new generation of leaders, opinion-makers, experts, artists, scientists and entrepreneurs.
A Mining Engineering graduate from the University of Witwatersrand, Tshegofatso Thathane, could not contain herself when she received her degree. The 24-year-old described this achievement as a dream come true and that it was a very difficult journey considering that it is a male dominated field that will require her to fit in. Thathane said if it was not for her mother, she would have not made it this far.
“I am a hustler. The only time my mother had to pay for my fees was during my first year. Thereafter, I started looking for bursaries. This occasion is the biggest highlight of my life and career. I am about to start and there is no going back from here. I pray and hope that my hard work will pay off and I will not be part of the “unemployed graduates statistics” in the country. I want to be as excited as I am when I start my job,” Thathane said.
She said that this event is a reminder that her academic journey is continuing and looks forward to many more graduation ceremonies in her life.
Owethu Masombuka, a Contact Centre Management graduate from Tshwane University of Technology is also preparing for her graduation ceremony. She described this as a gift to her family and community. She says growing up in a family of graduates made a huge impact in making this possible and that her academic journey was a reasonably easy one.
“Hard work definitely pays off and I would like to encourage those who are still in school to work hard because this feeling is priceless. I know that a lot of my peers and mates are concerned about life after this, whether or not they will get a job. I have been fortunate enough to get an internship before I even graduated but I would like them to not forget why they started. It is time to enjoy the present and let the future unfold,” Masombuka said.
Another one, Reneilwe Mosane, who is 27 years old, says that after she completed her matric, she wanted to pursue an acting career but her parents did not support that idea. Mosane who is about to become an Electrical Engineering Graduate said that when she started the course, she had no idea what to expect from it. It took Mosane seven years to complete her course at Tshwane South College. It has been seven years of sweat and pain but hard work made it possible.