Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • In the words of Nelson Mandela, “To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity”
  • Avbob 2023 Poetry Competition Winner: Sithembele Isaac Xhegwana of Makhanda
  • Flooding at the James Kleynhans Water Treatment Works
  • Avbob 2023 Poetry Competition Second Place: Jeannie Wallace McKeown of Makhanda
  • Residents of Extensions Nine, 10, Transit Camp, Phumlani and Enkanini voice discontent!
  • Makhanda Creatives Speak Out
  • Running towards a drug and alcohol-free Makhanda
  • What’s On 23 – 30 March
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Grocott's Mail
You are at:Home»Uncategorized»Local graduate success
Uncategorized

Local graduate success

Grocott's MailBy Grocott's MailApril 5, 2016No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

"I think that he is doing this for my late mother. She said, on her death bed, 'you must read your books get your degrees because I won't be here tomorrow'."

"I think that he is doing this for my late mother. She said, on her death bed, 'you must read your books get your degrees because I won't be here tomorrow'."

The words of proud mother, Bulelwa Mdoko, of her son, Simamkele Gayika, who graduated from Rhodes this weekend with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

She's joined in her celebrations by Nocawa Mzembe whose daughter, Ziyanda Ntlokwana, also graduated on the same day with a Masters in Social Science (MSS). 

Both young graduates are Grahamstown residents whose successes are testament to their hard work and determination to make the most of the opportunities close to them.

"I grew up in Grahamstown and always aspired to go to Rhodes and I am very pleased and humbled to be graduating from here and fulfilling my dream," said Simamkele. 

Bulelwa describes her son as a respectful and quiet child "who does not like to do bad things". She adds that during his high school years he was a hard worker who was dedicated to his studies and who wanted to fulfil his goals in life. Simamkele was tutored by student volunteers who helped him pass his matric with 36 points.

He was then accepted into the Extended Studies course, a foundation course run by Rhodes – also using student mentors – that takes matrics who show potential – largely from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds – and gives them the grounding to tackle a Rhodes degree course. Simamkele says he wants to study further and do Honours in Development Theory and Policy at Wits but, "I want this only after working in a branding or advertising agency”. 

Ziyanda Ntlokwana matriculated from Victoria Girls’ High School in 2010 and came to Rhodes in 2011 where she was placed in the humanities foundation, getting a degree majoring in sociology and politics in 2014. She then did honours in industrial psychology and completed her MSS last year. 

Ziyanda said her role model is Dr Babalwa Magoqwana, a black academic. “It is so intimidating being in a ‘white space’ [and]the presence of a fairly young black woman is, in a sense, motivating,” she explains. 

Nocawa says it is her daughter's determination that has got her so far. "She likes to finish what she starts." She also advises parents and learners from Grahamstown to come directly to Rhodes for information about studying there.

She says that many people think it is unaffordable but, if people approach the university directly, they will put them in touch with financial resources such as the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). 

Ziyanda hasn't finished yet. She says, "In the next five years I want to have completed my Phd and possibly be a lecturer or researcher.” 

Previous ArticleYou want to be a millionaire?
Next Article Soccer derby win for Pirates
Grocott's Mail

Comments are closed.

Tweets by Grocotts
Newsletter



Listen

The Rhodes University Community Engagement Division has launched Engagement in Action, a new podcast which aims to bring to life some of the many ways in which the University interacts with communities around it. Check it out below.

Humans of Makhanda

Humans of Makhanda

Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

© 2023 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.