Graduating against the odds
IT TOOK resilience and a clear outline of her goals in order for Nqobile Khuzwayo to achieve a major milestone.
Khuzwayo, 28, was among 929 students who received their qualifications at the Durban University of Technology spring graduation at the Durban Exhibition Centre on Thursday.
For her, it was a dream come true.
The KwaMashu-born graduate, who now holds a Diploma in Business and Information Management, said she was excited and very proud of her achievement which was not easy to accomplish as a student with a disability.
In 2011, she suffered a hypoxic brain injury that required her to receive a specialised education.
Following her matriculation in 2018, Khuzwayo was forced to take a gap year due to limited mobility before enrolling at the institution in 2020 to pursue her studies.
“I was interested in creating my own business. I wanted to do digital invitations since we are approaching the 4th Industrial Revolution. So, I decided to learn more about it,” said Khuzwayo.
She said it was a challenging journey.
“Some places that I went to were not wheelchair-friendly. The roads are also always busy, therefore it is not easy to cross the roads, and some classes are not wheelchair-friendly, so I would not attend those classes,” said Khuzwayo.
Even with her limitations, she got involved in various organisations, including the Students with Disabilities Association and occupied the roles of secretary and academic officer.
She also captured data and participated in such initiatives as food parcel distribution and rural school visits - making a contribution to the Man Carve organisation. In addition, she worked at the DUT Disability Rights Unit, as part of her Work-Integrated Learning programme.
Khuzwayo plans to pursue an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration next year and hopes to eventually get her PhD.
Khuzwayo, the eldest of four children, relayed a message to others living with a disability
Her advice to others was: “Do not give up on your dreams, anything is possible. Disability does not mean there are things you cannot do.
“Do not allow negative talk or ideas to get to you, instead always be positive and have faith,” she said.