When Thato Pooe left Bloemfontein to study at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) in 2015, little did he know that two years later he will be jetting off to Thailand.

The 25-year-old final year Computer Systems Engineering student left for Thailand this past weekend (28 April 2017) to start his Work Integrated Learning (WIL) at the Thailand branch of the Western Digital Corporation.
Pooe who has not had an easy journey in pursuing his studies said being chosen to complete his WIL in Thailand was just pure luck on his side. “My education journey has been filled with financial challenges, however, lady luck has never failed to rescue me, just like now, it is pure luck that I will be doing my WIL in order to complete my studies in Thailand,” he said.

He (Pooe) applied for the position through DUT’s Department of Co-operative Education (Co-Op) by submitting his curriculum vitae at their offices. He was then contacted via skype to conduct an interview with WDC. A few weeks after the interview, Co-Op alerted him of the good news that he was to be based in Thailand for a year.
“While I am honoured to be offered this opportunity, I wish more students were aware of the opportunities available to them through the various offices at DUT. If that were to happen, most of us who are deserving or lucky enough would benefit so much. Taking time to expose yourself to information about the various departments around the University could be beneficial depending on how you use that information,” added Pooe.
Pooe’s will receive a monthly stipend from WDC. His accommodation will be paid for by the department of Co-Op.

Pictured: Thato Pooe just before he left for Thailand.

Bongani Gema