Xoliswa Mavis Phillips was awarded with Cum Laude and the Dean’s Merit Award for the Advanced Diploma in Adult and Community Education and Training Teaching at the DUT Autumn Graduation ceremony which was held at the Royal Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg on Monday, 25 July 2022.
“I feel super excited, especially being in the first group to acquire this qualification, it makes me super excited,” said the ecstatic Phillips.
The DUT Adult and Community Education and Training Teaching Unit helps to enhance the provision of adult education for ordinary people living in Pietermaritzburg and in KwaZulu-Natal.
She expressed that it was such a proud moment for her as she was in the first group to graduate for the Advanced Diploma in Adult and Community Education and Training Teaching.
It was quite a challenging journey for her with the COVID-19 rules and regulations as they were not able to attend physical lectures and had to adapt to the new online learning system, hence that did not hinder her path to success. Being a funded student was what propelled her to persist and focus on the end goal which was completing her studies magnificently. Phillips was tremendously grateful that DUT provided her with data to be able to attend online lecturers and submit assignments on time.
She extended her profound gratitude to God, family, husband and children for always being by her side. She also extended her gratitude to Dr Sandra, and the DHET for making it possible for her to be funded.
She was emotional that seven of her class mates could not attend the graduation as they passed away in a tragic accident and also due to COVID-19.
“One thing I know wherever they are, they are proud as they were also supposed to graduate,” expressed Phillips.
Currently, she is employed at the Correctional Services under the Skills Development.
“With this qualification I hope to make an impact and also to extend these programmes to offenders, showing a sense of leadership that they can do it, and we cannot be seen as educators and being under-developed,” said Phillips.
Phillips is now in a process of enrolling for her Master’s Degree.
Pictured: Xoliswa Mavis Phillips.
Photographer: Vusi Dlamini.
Nonkululeko Ngcobo
