“The University of the Free State has given me more than just a degree; it has given me skills, attributes, and so much more, but above all else, the university gave me an opportunity.”
This is according to former Qwaqwa Campus SRC member Simphiwe Kunene, who walked across the stage to receive his Bachelor of Education in Intermediate Phase Teaching during the April 2023 graduations on the Qwaqwa Campus.
Support enabled Kunene to juggle multiple roles
Kunene, who has been involved in student life since his first year, said the support received from various individuals and structures at the UFS enabled him to juggle his multiple roles successfully, and groomed the sharp leader he considers himself to be today. As a first-generation student from the rural town of Nquthu in KwaZulu-Natal, Kunene said he “never imagined some of the achievements and support I received from the university. My journey may have been uneasy, but it has also been filled with many beautiful memories and significant moments. My life has been one of many firsts, and so I want to create many others like me."
While pursuing his studies, Kunene was a tutor and a residence assistant, and held positions in the CSRC and ISRC. “My story, like many others before me, has been riddled with challenges and adversities that sought to deter me from completing my studies. Relocating to a new environment is always difficult, and studying there is even more challenging. The challenges have been bigger, but the support from the university was way bigger. The dream has always been bigger.”
His most memorable moments are being elected as ISRC Secretary General and winning an A-Step award for best tutor in the
Faculty of Education. “From a very young age, I've always wanted to change the world in one way or another. I figured that perhaps one way to do that was to be a teacher, and the Qwaqwa Campus offered me the platform to help me realise that dream of mine.”
With this degree, Kunene hopes to impact the lives of his learners just like the warm embrace of education has impacted him.
“I am convinced that this degree – which is the first in my family – will drive out the scourge of poverty and restore dignity to the community, myself, and my family. For me, education is supposed to transform the lives of those it touches. I am a teacher, and that's my calling. My mission is to transform lives. I want to make education fashionable. This degree is the very foundation on which this premise is built.”
Driving quality, impact, and care
He is now pursuing an honours degree with specialisation in Management and Governance in the Faculty of Education and is working as a facilitator in the
Centre for Teaching and Learning. “I will forever be grateful for the support and opportunities afforded to me by this great university. I can say without fear of contradiction that lives have been changed with quality, impact, and care.”