A 21-year old from Durban, Malika Hurbans graduated Cum Laude and received the prestigious Dean’s Merit Award after obtaining 30 distinctions for her Diploma in Internal Auditing.  She was amongst the top achievers honoured for their academic excellence at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Autumn Graduation ceremony held at the Olive Convention Centre (OCC) this afternoon (Thursday, 25 May 2023).
The career driven Hurbans divulged that obtaining Cum laude did not come as  surprise to her as she was expecting it. She has always been prioritising her academic excellence from her first year of study, but the Deans Merit Award was indeed a shock. However, she added that she is beyond excited to be achieving such amazing accolades and extremely proud of herself for attaining these achievements.
Her academic journey at DUT has been good, and like many other students there were some challenges that she experienced, especially with COVID-19  and having to adapt to the new living and online learning.

The Dean’s Merit Awardee detailed what inspired her to study Internal Auditing.
“I have always had a passion for Accounting, and decided to pursue my career in Internal Auditing, hence, I’m currently studying towards my Advanced Diploma In Internal Auditing at DUT. I aspire to be a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA),” she confessed.
Hurbans applauded her parents for always being there for her, especially throughout her years of studying and always supporting and motivating her to be the best version of herself.  She added that it makes her happy to witness how her parents are proud of her academic achievements.

“The best advice that I could give students is that success is always a process, and mistakes are meant to be made, it’s what you do different the next time that matters. Take risks and see mistakes as learning opportunities. Education is a gift that none can take away; the gift of a lifetime,” said Hurbans.

Pictured: Malika Hurbans

Lethukuthula Ngubane