Having recently lost her biggest motivator, her dear mum, this did not deter Suhana Rambharasa from her path of achieving her academic goals and simply doing her best. She didn’t think she would even have the opportunity to attend University so when she did she worked hard day and night to get to this point of graduation.

She graduated with her National Diploma in Public Relations Management, also obtaining cum laude for her excellent academic results on 10 May 2018, at 6pm.
The 26-year-old Rambharasa wished that her mum was able to see her graduate but she knows that she is in heaven smiling down on her. “Last year September, 2017, I lost my mum who was only 49 years old. That was the toughest time of my entire life and is something that I still battle with today. She was my biggest motivator.” She however also said, “I was really excited when I had seen my results on the student portal and would have screamed if only everyone wasn’t asleep.”

The path to her studies was tough as both her parents were unemployed at the time she wanted to pursue her studies. She said she did not have any money for registration and was asked to come back once a payment of R3750 had been made. She went outside to where her dad was waiting and cried because she knew that they didn’t have that kind of money on hand. “I then went to the DUT Financial Aid department where I was assisted by Indira Govender, who helped me receive a SRC grant. I then carried on with the year by faith and was notified only in June that I will receive the NSFAS funding for three years (2015 – 2017). I had to work from four to eight every day after campus and on alternate Saturdays to cover my transport fees and help at home,” she stressed.

For Rambharasa, the field of study is befitting as she loves interacting with people and planning events. She had always been intrigued by the PR and Marketing environment as a whole. She did confess that PR was not her first choice but it chose her because she has absolutely no regrets.
Despite the obstacles she had faced, her pillars of strength have been her husband, family and friends who had assisted her with notes when she could not attend classes due to work commitments. She also added that the lecturers and secretary at the PR department have also been very supportive.

Her advice to DUT students wanting to embark in the same field of study is that it is an awesome field of study that allows one to be innovative and flexible to cater to different client needs. “Sometimes you feel like your hard work goes unnoticed even though you know you have  struggled through it all but when you receive congratulatory messages and people’s words of appreciation it really touches you and keeps you motivated to do your best,” she said.

Currently, Rambharasa is doing her BTech in Public Relations Management at DUT. She hopes to continue her field of study and do her Master’s in either Public Relations or Marketing and run her own business.

Pictured: Suhana and her husband, Kyle Govindasamy.

Waheeda Peters