If it were not for his parents who instilled in him the ‘can-do’ attitude, Jared Naidoo, wonders if his academic journey would have led to him attaining high marks in his Diploma in Accounting.

Naidoo (21) from Phoenix in Durban, graduated Cum Laude for his Diploma in Accounting at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) 2024 Autumn Graduation ceremony, which was held at the Olive Convention Centre earlier today (Friday, 24 May 2024). It was a momentous occasion for him as he was the first graduate in his family.

He attributes his achievement to his parents, who he claimed have been his cheerleaders from day one of his academic journey.

“The can-do attitude my parents insisted upon, made me believe that nothing was too big to accomplish when you have the right mindset,” he said.

Even though Naidoo had worked hard during his studies and his parents witnessed the entire journey, he said they were lost for words when he shared with them the exciting news that he will be graduating Cum Laude.

Naidoo, the eldest among his siblings, said being at DUT was a time in his life when he had to take mature steps toward his future and prepare for life challenges. Looking back at the past three years, he had to adjust to a lot, especially with the frequent COVID-19 lockdown regulations.

“There were no face-to-face classes hence online classes were all new to me and I needed time to adjust. Group assignments were the most difficult especially as we didn’t really know and see each other as students because we weren’t on campus but thank God we pulled through and now have graduated,” he says.

Naidoo is currently doing his Advanced Diploma in Accounting at DUT, which he believes will lead him to being a financial accountant.

“Always remember that nothing is too difficult for you to achieve, don’t be afraid of new challenges, and never doubt yourself, with the right mindset, you’ll always achieve your goals,” he added, advising those keen in pursuing a career in Accounting.

Pictured: Jared Naidoo being awarded his Diploma in Accounting by Professor Oludayo Olugbara, Executive Dean: Faculty of Accounting and Informatics.

Photographer: Mnqobi Ngobese.

Minenhle Zikhali