Person of interest: Desiree Wicks
Occupation: Student Bureau Manager
Workspace: Eden Grove – Rhodes University
Human of Makhanda: 3
By Dideka Njemla
Not all heroes wear capes; some quietly shape the spaces and people around them with precision, dedication and heart.
Desiree Wicks has served the Rhodes University community for nearly four decades, taking on different roles across campus. She began as a secretary for the Instituteof Freshwater Studies in 1986 and later moved to the Registrars Division, where she leads the Student Bureau with exceptional efficiency and compassion.
At the 2025 October postgraduate graduation held at the 1820 Settlers Monument, Wicks was honoured for her remarkable impact by earning the 2025 Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Service Award. Her recognition by Prof David Sewry was met with a standing ovation from the auditorium, which brought Wicks to tears.
‘That’s where I get my drive’
Recalling her childhood, Wicks said that they moved quite frequently, but they eventually settled in Welkom, where she matriculated. “My father worked for Anglo American, and that made us travel a lot. I remember moving four times in one year.” Wicks named her father as her role model, saying he was an inspiring figure with an incredible work ethic. “He gave his best for his job and family, and I think that’s where I get my drive,” she said.
With an interest in finding out what fuels her soft heartedness, I asked how she balances her duties while remaining devoted to students. Wicks said, “I’ve always
been that person who will try to take care of something to make someone’s life easy.” She explained that the care she offers students mirrors the care she’d want someone to extend to her daughters if they were in a bad situation.
‘Sometimes a student needs a mom’
“I don’t try to be mom, but sometimes a student needs a mom, but sometimes they need someone fierce, and I can do that. There have been times when I’ve gone the extra mile, but that’s just because I’m human and they’re human, and if I am able to make that difference, then I will,” she said.
Moved by her response, I then asked what she cherished most about her job: “Making a difference and being the difference,” she said. Wicks also shared that one of the challenging parts has been dealing with students in distress. “It gets quite tough at the beginning of the year when NSFAS has let them down, and they are here with nowhere to go. Sometimes I really don’t have a solution, and that’s hard.”
Wicks took time to acknowledge the co-operation and commitment of the various teams involved in ensuring that the administration at the Student Bureau is seamless. “I’ve got three very good teams because the work is divided into three different categories.
The Student Bureau is an administrative office where students come when they’ve got an administrative requirement. “Then on the other side, I’ve got the data processing team, and they capture applications and process documents. The third team is the student funding office, and we’ve got very good staff in there. So, we develop the staff, and they stay, so with their support, I can fulfil my position
and duties.
‘Be the difference’
Showcasing her years of devotion to the student body, Wicks further said, “I very rarely close my doors; I always have open office doors because people need to know we are available. If my staff are working overtime, I am working overtime, and if I am working overtime, I don’t ask my staff to stay; they support me.” She said that she and her team are united by a shared purpose of supporting and serving students. “Making a difference for me is key – be the difference between the student getting their degree or not,” she said.
Sewry’s citation highlighted that Wicks’ support and presence played a vital role in helping the university navigate through crucial times. Some of those moments also serve as memorable for Wicks. “I’ll never forget when Nelson Mandela came to campus, and I was involved in the graduation ceremony where he was awarded an
honorary doctorate.” And when students faced the Fees Must Fall protest and several other protests, Wicks’s presence created a safe space for students to feel valued and supported.
With the deep impact that she has made to the university’s culture, I asked what traits she hopes her successor will embody. She noted that patience was an import
ant aspect of dealing with people. “Good technological skills because there is a lot of technology and you need to keep up to date, because as the need arises, you need to develop systems and improve things all the time.” She continued, “We’re the smallest university in the country, and we need to keep that edge; otherwise, we’ll lose good students.
Apprehensive
“I’m quite apprehensive about retirement,” she said, after I had asked what she was looking forward to the most. “I’ve spent the last 40 years surrounded by people and dealing with people, and now I’m going to be on my own,” she took a brief pause before she continued, “But I’m aware of it. I will work towards finding things to do where I’m involved with people.”
