A 26-year-old woman from uMlazi graduated cum laude with her Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from the Durban University of Technology (DUT) despite suffering from a condition caused by inflammation of a nerve or nerves.
After graduating on Tuesday at the Olive Convention Centre on Tuesday, Ngidi was grateful and excited that her hard work paid off proving that good grades can be achieved with great dedication.
“I have also set the standard for my younger siblings although they are in their fair share of exciting fields,” Ngidi said.
Her journey at DUT started in 2015 when she enrolled for her National Diploma in Financial Information Systems.
“When I finally built up enough courage to tell my parents that I do not like what I was studying, I took a six-month break before coming back at the age of 21 in 2019 to enrol for my diploma in ICT: Business Analysis. I graduated in 2021, unfortunately, there was no ceremony due to Covid-19. In 2022, I furthered my studies by doing my Advanced Diploma in Business Administration, and the rest is history,” Ngidi recalled.
She shared that she faced hurdles while studying, having to start her studies right after relocating to Johannesburg and starting a new job in an industry that she had never imagined herself in.
“All these big changes in my life led to a great deal of stress that landed me in hospital and I was diagnosed with neuritis, making me miss my first test since I was hospitalised.
“Neuritis is a condition caused by inflammation of a nerve or nerves secondary to injury or infection of viral or bacterial aetiology.
“However, I am glad that in the same year, I was able to achieve such great marks and score myself a promotion at work against all odds of navigating life alone far from home,” Ngidi said.
Speaking about her career path, she said she sees herself being part of great projects in the industry she is in currently as she believes that a lot can be done to attract the youth to be part of the insurance industry work-wise and not only as clients.
“I believe that I will get to the right job title that will give me an opportunity to put my qualifications to great use especially as I have great knowledge in project management and IT project management,” Ngidi said.
Advising first-year students who want to embark on the same career is to always be willing to learn.
“Don’t limit yourself in your studies and work towards your goals. If you know what you truly want, you can always diversify your studies and path to link in the end,” Ngidi said.
Currently, Ngidi is working as an underwriting consultant for Old Mutual Insure. She is also part of a corporate Toastmasters International club (Green speakers) where she holds a role in the executive team of the club.
She added that her goal is to obtain an MBA by the age of 30.
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Daily News