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‘I wanted my family to be proud of me’, says BML graduate

08 December 2023 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Charl Devenish

Thabo Dithebe received his Bachelor of Management Leadership (BML) qualification during the University of the Free State’s December graduation ceremonies. His life journey of resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to embrace unexpected opportunities is an inspiring story that needs to be told.

Born in the farming community of Bothaville, Thabo initially wanted to pursue a career in engineering, and he chose maths, science, and technical subjects in high school. However, a temporary job in retail near home and experiencing the toll of retrenchment redirected his path to sales and marketing and pushed him to apply for a BML in the UFS Business School.

“When I enrolled for the BML, my childhood dream of going to university became a reality. Although the journey was not easy, it was worth pursuing,” says Thabo, who is employed as an area sales manager at Marltons Pet Care.

Balancing studies and responsibilities at home

In addition to managing the pressure of being stretched to the limit in class, Thabo also had to balance his studies with the responsibilities at home – taking care of his sick and disabled daughter.

“Balancing these commitments was always a challenge, but I was fortunate to have a supportive caregiver who understood the needs of children living with disabilities. There were tough times, especially during submission seasons when my daughter would fall ill. In those moments, I had to prioritise her health, temporarily setting aside my studies until she received proper care at the hospital,” he states.

Besides caring for his daughter and being retrenched, he also went through a breakup. Thabo believes that things could have turned out differently if he had stopped imagining and dreaming, because he had every reason to give up. He describes reaching this significant milestone in his life as ‘unreal’.

He says that he was motivated to persevere, because from the first day he enrolled, he wanted to make his family proud of him. “There were times when I asked myself if I had what it takes to complete the programme. Should I choose not to complete the course, what would I say to my son when life knocks him down, when he sees me giving up? How do I face my mother if I came back defeated? I had good people on my side who wanted me to succeed,” he says.

Ready to take on the next challenge

Having reached this significant milestone in his life, Thabo is ready for the next challenge. “I am hoping to be accepted into the PGDip in Business Administration programme for the 2024 intake,” he says.

He advises others who face challenges while pursuing their educational goals to understand that their situation is not permanent and that there is strength in adversity. “It is important to celebrate the small victories often and to associate yourself with people who work harder than you,” he adds.

On 7 December 2023, as Thabo walked across the stage, he looked for the face of his mother in the audience – a lady who made several sacrifices to raise him and his five siblings. “I hope that when she saw me, she was very proud of me,” he concludes.

News Archive

Outstanding alumni celebrated at the Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumni Awards

2017-08-28

Description: Outstanding alumni celebrated at the Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumni Awards Tags: Outstanding alumni celebrated at the Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumni Awards

From the left: Former Miss World and UFS Medical student, Rolene Strauss; Rector and Vice-Chancellor,
Prof Francis Petersen; The Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year,
Vian Chinner; and Chancellor of the UFS, Dr Khotso Mokhele. Photo: Charl Devenish

Alumni Awards Photo Gallery

Alumni are the heart and soul of a university, a legacy that lives on for generations, bringing pride to the alma mater. Each year, the University of the Free State (UFS) through the Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumni Awards, celebrates its outstanding alumni, who have stood out among their peers, making waves in their careers, at home and abroad. The UFS Chancellor, Dr Khotso Mokhele, said the university plays a pivotal role in ensuring that students enjoy a life-long relationship with their alma mater. He encouraged the UFS management to create opportunities to engage students during their years of study, in order to create this mutually-beneficial relationship into the future.

The Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award, the highest honour accorded to an alumnus, recognises the distinguished national or international achievements of its recipient. The award was presented to Vian Chinner, chief executive officer at Xineoh, a performance marketing company he founded in 2014. The company, based in Bloemfontein, with offices in Cape Town, Oregon in the US, and Vancouver in Canada, specialises in applying mathematical modelling and machine learning to optimise conversion in industries including real estate, mortgage banking and e-commerce. It has generated more than $30 million in revenue for its clients.

The Young Alumnus of the Year Award acknowledges the achievements of alumni who graduated within the past decade and was presented to Leah Molatseli, founder and managing director of Lenoma Legal, who graduated with an LLB at UFS in 2010.

The Cum Laude Award is bestowed upon an alumnus in recognition of excellence in any field, whether vocational or voluntary. The awards in this category were presented to three alumni:

David Abbey, Acquisition and Leveraged Finance Deal Maker at Rand Merchant Bank. David graduated with a BCom Accounting (RU) 2007 and a BCom Hons Accounting (UFS) in 2008.

Johan Eksteen, Agricon Pelleting, graduated with an MSc in Sustainable Agriculture in 1998, and received an MBA in 2005, both at the UFS.

Zola Valashiya, Co-founder and director: Debate Afrika and Schools Projects and Campaigns Manager at Corruption Watch. He graduated with an LLB (UFS) in 2014, and Masters of Public Administration (Central European University, Hungary) in 2016. He is a Mandela Rhodes Scholar (2015) and a Young African Leadership Initiative Mandela Washington Fellow (2017) and is presently featured on the Mail & Guardian list of top 200 young South Africans.

The Executive Management Award: this service award is presented to an individual who has delivered exceptional service to the UFS and is not limited to alumni of the institution, current students and the community at large. The award was presented to Sarina Cronje, Head of Athletics at KovsieSport.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Science (UFS) in 1977 and a Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education (UFS) in 1983. She is a mother and career woman, whose family carries the same passion and drive for sports that champions are made of.

The Kovsie Ambassador Award is bestowed upon a current student whose achievements have brought him/her distinction, benefited his/her community, and brought credit to the UFS.

Crystal-Donna Roberts graduated with a BA Drama and Theatre Arts (UFS) in 2005. She is an active television, theatre and film actress who has appeared in a multitude of theatre productions in addition to starring in Afrikaans soap opera “7de Laan, Getroud Met Rugby, Montana” and “Vallei van Sluiers” in which she won public favour. She is currently playing the lead role in the internationally acclaimed film, “Krotoa” which has won numerous awards including Best Film at the Harlem International Film Festival in New York. It also won the Award of Excellence at the International Film Festival for Women: Social Issues and Zero Discrimination, and many more.

Franco Smith, Director: Free State Rugby and Assistant Coach: Springboks. He graduated with a BA Human Movement Sciences (UFS) in 1996 and began his career in rugby in 1999 when he was selected for the Free State Under-18 Craven Week team. He became a regular on the Free State Under-20 and the UFS Shimlas teams prior to his Free State Cheetahs debut in 1992. Franco was reappointed backline coach of the Cheetahs and head coach of the Shimlas in 2015. With many accolades to his name an illustrious career in coaching and management over the years, the name Franco Smith should not be foreign to true rugby connoisseurs.

The Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Francis Petersen, congratulated all the award recipients: “I applaud all alumni; you have made the city of Bloemfontein and the whole province proud.” The National Executive Alumni Chairperson, Dr Pieter du Toit, congratulated the award recipients and thanked the leadership of the university as well as the event organisers.

The awards signify the great esteem with which the UFS holds its alumni and the community that helps to drive its vision, cherish its history and pave the way for more outstanding Kovsies of the future.

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