A DUT soon-to-be graduand’s love for problem solving has earned him a warping 23 distinctions which will be celebrated when he graduates cum laude this week (Wednesday, 22 April 2015).
Seluleko Mkhize will also receive the Dean’s Merit Award for academic excellence when he receives his National Diploma in Taxation.
Mkhize’s 23 distinctions, which were collected throughout his national diploma studies, is a result of a focused mind, a problem solving attitude and working extremely hard. “I worked very hard, in such a way that I sacrificed my family time. From first year, I told myself that I would use all the spare time I got to study, and I did. I worked very hard and today I don’t regret my sacrifices as I will be honoured for them,” said the jubilant Mkhize.
Hailing from the farming lands of Jolivet, situated approximately 40km from Ixopo, Mkhize matriculated at Impunga High School and holds his former teachers in high regard. “I would like to give honour to the teachers that have played a role towards my education,” he said.
Mkhize had not had the opportunity to use a computer before coming to the university. However, that did not deter him from using it. In fact, like all the other obstacles he had encountered during his academic tenure, he sought solutions instead. “Challenges are always to be faced. I did encounter challenges but I worked around them to get them solved. I remember touching the computer for the first time at DUT, things were tough. When a challenge came I did not focus on it but focused on the solution. When the computer gave me a problem, I spent a lot of my free time in the (computer) labs with someone to help me,” he re-encountered.
He plans to further his studies and sees himself as a qualified chartered accountant in the future and hopes to work with the community and be a part of the economy by participating in it and developing the community he comes from.
For students who wish to follow in his footsteps, this is his message: “To every young person in high school or at a tertiary institution, work hard, never give up no matter what the situation is and always focus on the way forward,” he said.
The National Diploma in Taxation at DUT is an internationally respected business qualification. The qualification leads the way in corporate governance and members are more in demand since the publication of the King Report and the likelihood of mandatory company secretary legislation.
– Thobele Nzama
Pictured: Seluleko Mkhize who received the Dean’s Merit Award and a cum laude when he graduated on Wednesday, 22 April 2015.
