“I can’t explain the feeling, it humbles me and I feel honoured after noting that I received a special recognition of my hard work achievement at the graduation ceremony. When I first saw the results on my student portal I was so emotional, I actually cried, thinking about all the challenges I have faced throughout my life and thinking I have finally achieved my goal,” said Nosipho Pretty Mbona.

Mbona graduated Cum Laude with the Dean’s Merit Award for the Advanced Diploma in Business and Information Management, Faculty of Accounting and Informatics, at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Autumn Graduation ceremony which was held at the Royal Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg on Monday, 25 July 2022.

Mbona who resides at Unit 13 at Imbali, Pietermaritzburg was raised by her mother’s family with her three siblings as her mother passed on when she was 16 years old.

She indicated that growing up was not easy for her due to life challenges. She matriculated at ML Sultan Secondary School in 2012. She conveyed that owing to her financial situation, she could not continue with her studies therefore she had to look for a job in order to save up money, to take care of herself and her siblings since she was the first born.

“In 2018, I enrolled with Durban University of Technology as a Business and Information Management student which was quite an amazing journey but a bit challenging. After completion of my diploma which I also graduated Cum laude for. The high unemployment rate persuaded me to study further for my Advanced Diploma in Business and Information Management which I have completed in 2021,” she stressed.

Mbona commented that she has been focused on academics most of her life and expected to get a Cum Laude because she was so dedicated to her work and spent many hours in the library studying, but as for a Dean’s Merit award, it caught her by surprise.

Mbona conveyed that her hard work has made DUT her second home, she was then appointed by her lecturer Dr Mthalane to be her Assistant Teacher/Tutor in 2021 until present to tutor Information Management and Technology, and Business Principles and Management. Through hard work that she has showed from the beginning, she is grateful to have been blessed with this incredible opportunity.

Photographer: Vusi Dlamini

Pictured: Nosipho Pretty Mbona

Waheeda Peters