Samukelisiwe Godlwana from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal rejoices as she graduated Cum Laude and received the esteemed Dean’s Merit Award this afternoon (Saturday, 27 May 2023) for her Advanced Diploma in Public Administration Specialising in Public Management at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Autumn Graduation ceremony held at the Olive Convention Centre (OCC).
The Cum Laude graduate confessed that she had no intentions of enrolling for the Public Management programme, as she did not even understand what the course entails. However, as time went by she learnt to love and embrace it.
She shared that her journey at DUT has been amazing, however there were some obstacles that came in her way but through the grace of God she conquered.
“My journey at DUT has been like any other student’s journey. It has been filled with ups and downs, doubts about my abilities, anxiety about the unknown but also an optimism about what’s to come. Self-doubt is such a killjoy and I thank my mom for always being my cheerleader and reminding me that I’m not doing this by mistake but I’m more than capable of achieving the best. Prayer has also been a lifeline. Pray about it, give every assignment and test my absolute best and leave everything else to God,” she explained.
Wanting to prove herself that she is capable of achieving anything that she desires, is what motivated her to perform well on her studies. Achieving good results and focusing on her studies was a way of keeping herself sane in the midst of all that’s happening in the world.
The elated lass express her excitement when she realized that she has completed her qualification and she will be graduating Cum Laude and she will be awarded with the Dean’s Merit Award for her academic excellence.
“I laughed at this because I would be lying if I say I was expecting a Cum Laude. I thought it was a glitch in the system when I first saw it and thought it would be fixed. After checking five times I realised ‘Oh, this is really me, a graduate with Cum Laude and the recipient of the Dean’s Merit Award’ I feel really proud, happy and blessed about it,” she beamed.
The dedicated lass shared that she is currently pursuing her Postgraduate Diploma at DUT as she believes that she get her academic streak from her mom who always encourages her to go further, higher and greater.
Advising the first year students she said, “Believe in your abilities cause you’re here for a reason. Don’t be too hard on yourself and enjoy every moment. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, we all need it,” she advised.
Pictured: Samkelisiwe Godlwana
Lethukuthula Ngubane
