“I am not the first to graduate in my family, but my journey to this moment has been uniquely shaped by my own experiences, challenges and growth,” she said. Luyanda Ngcobo (22) was born and raised in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, she began her studies at Durban University of Technology (DUT) in 2022 at the age of 18.
She graduated Cum Laude and received the Dean’s Merit Award for academic excellence at the DUT 2026 Autumn Graduation Ceremony, after completing her Advanced Diploma in Public Administration in Public Management.
Sharing the challenges she faced, her first semester at DUT was completely new. She was using a laptop for the first time and had no idea how to navigate basic academic tools like MS Teams, which made online learning even more challenging during the transition period.
In those early weeks, she often felt overwhelmed by the sudden shift from high school to university. “The independence that came with higher education was difficult to adjust to, especially without in-person guidance at the start. Managing online classes, submitting assignments, and trying to understand lecture content all at once required patience and determination,” she explained.
“The DUT values and principles I associate are integrity, respect, fairness, compassion, and excellence. I associate with these values mainly because of my Christian beliefs. I truly believe in respecting everyone and not discriminating against people on any basis. I believe that no one is better than anyone. I believe that it’s important to stay humble no matter how much God lifts you up in life. I also think that it’s important to be compassionate to people. And as a student you exercise compassion because as students you support and help each other. And lastly with excellence I believe that it’s important to try your best with academics,” she said.
The advice she would give to first-year students is that they are not who they were in high school, and that university offers a fresh start where they have the opportunity to redefine themselves. She encourages students to embrace this new beginning, especially if their high school experience was not positive, reminding them that university is a place where no one knows their past and they can start afresh.
“University is a fresh start where you can rebuild yourself, but success depends on working smart, asking for help, and surrounding yourself with the right people,” she added.
While stressing discipline and focus, she also reminds students to enjoy university life responsibly, create meaningful memories, and avoid regrets. Most importantly, she advises students to stay true to themselves and not allow others to change who they are, while always striving to make their families proud.
Pictured: Luyanda Ngcobo obtained Dean’s Merit Award for academic excellence.
Photographer: Khulasande Tshayile
Phiwayinkosi Sibiya
