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24 August 2020 | Story Thabo Kessah | Photo Supplied
Lebohang Masoabi believes she is a champion woman as she commits her time to nurture other champions.

Growing up with an inferiority complex has taught Lebohang Masoabi to flourish in her adult life. She credits former Vice-Chairperson of the University of the Free State’s Council, Dr Nthabeleng Rammile, as a woman who continues to inspire her. She recently won an Innovation in Learning and Teaching award during the Qwaqwa Campus Centre for Teaching and Learning’s Excellence in Learning and Teaching Awards. 

She has just completed her MCom degree in Business Management, focusing on the role of entrepreneurial education on attitudes and intentions of university students. 

Please tell us about yourself: Who you are and what you do? 

My name is Lebohang Masoabi. I am a Lecturer in the Department of Business Management at the University of the Free State Qwaqwa Campus. My areas of expertise include, but are not limited to, entrepreneurship and marketing.

Is there a woman who inspires you and who you would like to celebrate this Women’s Month, and why?

Dr Nthabeleng Rammile. She is intentional and unapologetic about pursuing her destiny. She is a great example of defying limitations. She constantly challenges her abilities. She oozes confidence. But above all, I love how she is passionate about the growth and development of other women, and how she has made it her life’s work to ensure that other women succeed in pursuit of their dreams. 

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in your life that have made you a better woman?

Self-esteem issues: I had to learn to love myself and believe in myself and when I overcame that, I was unstoppable.

Inferiority complex: I was always afraid to express my full potential, wondering if I am worth it compared to others in my professional and personal space. I then realised that I am not weak, I am not vulnerable, I am not a damsel in distress. The day I realised my full potential as a woman, I flourished.

 

I had to learn to love myself and believe in myself and when I overcame that, I was unstoppable.

What advice would you give to the 15-year-old you?

• You are worth more than you think.
• Not everyone is going to like you, and that is fine.
• Be brave and do what scares you.
• Be kind to yourself.
• Forgive quickly, move on quickly.
• The girls who did not like you then, want to be you now!
• Learn to breathe through the tough moments, it’s not the end of the world.

What would you say makes you a champion woman [of the UFS]?

For the past four years on our campus, I have committed my time and energy to mentor students who are in quest of their professional and personal development, some of whom have launched their careers and have become champions in their own spaces.

So, my answer to this question is that what makes me a champion woman of the UFS is the fact that I nurture other champions!

 


News Archive

Leadership and responsible citizenship: key themes at the Global Leadership Summit
2015-07-09

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Leadership and responsible citizenship have been the main topics of discussion at the Global Leadership Summit which started on 5 July at the UFS Campus in Bloemfontein, and will continue until 17 July. More than 103 international delegates from various universities in Asia, the United States, and Europe, as well as 40 student delegates from the University of the Free State, are attending.

Kick-starting the summit talks was Prof Joel Samoff (Stanford University) who led discussions on transformation in institutions around the world. “Transformation is a constantly-changing interaction.  It is not a single objective, but a process, “ he said. This was followed by a robust panel discussion with student leaders of the UFS and those from James Madison University, Mount Holyoke College, and Rutgers University, who described the journey of transformation at their various universities.  “Young people are leading themselves in a different way, the context of the society we live in has changed,” said a UFS Student.

Keynote speaker, Zelda la Grange, gave an account of her experiences and the colourful journey of discovery of a “different” South Africa, working with President Nelson Mandela for 19 years, a journey that is the subject of  her book, “Good Morning Mr Mandela “. Under the theme “Breathing the same air: A metaphor for human solidarity, Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Senior Research Professor in Trauma, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation Studies led a talk with Candice Mama, the daughter of slain anti-apartheid activist, Gelnack Masilo Mama, one of the victims of the former hit squad commander, Eugene de Kok. Candice inspired the audience with her philosophy on life and letting go of trauma: “Forgiveness is a process, and one needs to forgive to be able to be liberated from anger and bitterness,” she said.

Dr Lis Lange, Vice Rector: Academic, UFS spoke of citizenship and freedom, focusing on the responsibility that humans have to create ethical, positive, and meaningful interaction in their daily lives and in their societies across the globe.

As part of the programme, delegates will visit the Qwaqwa Campus on 10 July 2015, where they will interact with the leadership of the campus, its staff, and students, and enjoy an arts and cultural experience of the Eastern Free State.  The summit will end with a visit to various sites in Bloemfontein, where delegates will engage in community-based outreach activities in disadvantaged communities around the city. 

UFS to host second Global Leadership Summit

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