Nosihle Ngcobo will kick-start the month of September in prime fashion as she graduated cum laude and will begin a new exciting career.

The 24-year-old from Imbali, Pietermaritzburg, graduated cum laude for her National Diploma in Civil Engineering and four days from now (1 September 2016), will start at a new job where she will specialise in civil consulting and structural engineering services. “I’m really excited. Words cannot express how happy I am,” said a jubilant Ngcobo.

The journey to triumph has not been a smooth one. Like many poor tertiary students, she faced the demon of financial constraints which proved a burden for both her and her parents.

“It was really hard financially. I remember after I had completed my S1, I didn’t have money to settle the debt in order to register for S2. It was so stressful. My parents had to go and apply for a loan in order for me to be able to register. So apart from the sleepless nights and loads of work, my major struggle was finances,” she said.

When asked about the future, Ngcobo said she is planning to build on the knowledge she has gained so far and study further, learn as much as she can with regards to her chosen discipline, gain relevant experience and encourage youngsters who are still aspiring to pursue a career in civil engineering.

– Siphephelo Sibiya

Pictured: Nosihle Ngcobo who graduated cum laude for her National Diploma in Civil Engineering at DUT.