If you are a young woman who is passionate about Maths and Science, getting into the field of engineering may not seem the ideal option but this has proven to be the best choice made by Durban University of Technology’s Yuleshni Govender.

The dynamic Govender graduated with her Btech in Chemical Engineering, also obtaining cum laude and the Dean’s Merit Award from DUT in Durban on 07 May 2018.

“I was over the moon. When my exams results came out last year, I had calculated my aggregate a hundred times in the hope that I would pass cum laude. When I had found out that I not only got cum laude but I also received the Dean’s Merit award, I was overjoyed,” she said.

Her journey was not an easy one with a lot of ups and downs, both personally and professionally. She consistently reminded herself that somewhere out there someone, if not many, have it much worse off than she does.

Choosing such a field of study was not a difficult choice but deciding what to specialise in was her gripe. She excelled in subjects such as Maths and Science. After much research she decided that Chemical Engineering would be a best fit for her. Her reasoning being that she felt Chemical Engineering would give her exposure to all walks of engineering. From her point of view, Chemical Engineering contained a bit of industrial, mechanical and electrical. Being the person that wants to know about everything she also felt Chemical Engineering would give her that opportunity to drive in all lanes of life.

Govender added that her family was her biggest support system. “Having three siblings, all studying engineering, you know that I had the best advice sources you could ask for. My parents have always supported me in whatever decision I make, and have never forced me into doing anything. Having the freedom to choose my life path was both terrifying and amazing at the same time. I also have the greatest friends ever. To be completely honest, I would have never made it through the past year without my friends as well,” she said.
Obtaining excellent results may seem to be an easy feat for many but for Govender it was the most difficult but also the best year of her life. Her Btech studies pushed her to work harder and strive for the best. “As a full-time Btech student, things were far from a walk in the park. Between tests, assignments, designs and project work I barely had time to breath. Basically, the toughest part of this journey was that there were never enough hours in the day,” she stressed.

However, she feels that her inspiration to work so hard throughout her course of studies is based on striving to be outstanding. “In the world that we live in today I knew I needed something to stand out from the crowd. I have always been an individual that wants to be the best, from the kitchen to my books,” she added.
Govender still believes she has a lot more to achieve as well as a long way to go in her career. She is currently looking for an opportunity to learn the industry and develop her skills in everything engineering-related. “I believe that my dedication to my goals, and commitment to learning, are my key strengths, and are the qualities that can add value to the environments I work in. I want to make a meaningful difference,” she said.

Pictured: Yuleshni Govender

Waheeda Peters