Paul-Frederick Haupt was inspired by the dedication and achievements of his father who is a Ship Surveyor to pursue a career in Engineering.
“My dad has always been an inspiration as he has worked so hard throughout his life to achieve all that he has. He works in a similar field as the one I work in, which has made it easy for me to talk to him about my projects and to receive feedback and help. He is my role model, and I hope that in the near future I will achieve all the amazing milestones that he has achieved,” said Haupt who graduated Cum Laude with a BTech in Mechanical Engineering from the Durban University of Technology (DUT) on 07 May 2018 at Fred Crookes Sport Centre, Steve Biko Campus in Durban.
Haupt who matriculated at Glenwood High School in 2010 and enrolled for his National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering at DUT in 2013, which he completed in 2015, says engineering was an obvious career path for him. “I chose this programme as I have a very analytical and logical mind and the in’s and outs of Mechanical Engineering really fascinated me. I have hunger for knowledge and as engineering is an ever-changing field it was something I wanted to explore. I really enjoy tinkering and creating, therefore engineering was a good fit for me” said Haupt.
Currently, Haupt works for SBS Agri where he runs their Engineering Department, and he said that juggling between his challenging full-time job and studying was a daunting task. “My biggest challenge in my time at DUT was completing my BTech while having a full-time job. To overcome this challenge, I made sure I planned my time effectively and studied hard,” he added.
He encouraged DUT students to never give up no what challenges they come across. “All you need is to persevere through all of life’s challenges and successfully manage your time. Never ever give up.” Haupt said.
Haupt has aspirations to progress and grow within his current company and to acquire more knowledge. “My career goal is becoming an established Mechanical Engineer capable of assuming leadership and undertaking any project that comes my way. Ideally in the next few years I would like to complete my MTech in Mechanical Engineering and get my PrEng,” he said.
Pictured: Paul-Frederick Haupt
Nduduzo Ndlovu
