2018 Autumn Graduations open with sounds of joy and ululation

Baccalaureus Technologiae recipient: Ms Jilongo Tsakani Hazel

Owen Talane

It’s expected that each year around this time, the Vaal University of Technology’s Desmond Tutu Great Hall is packed with proud friends, family and relatives of our graduates who walk the stage with pride to collect their qualifications.

Loud joyful screams of congratulations and ululations shook the hall – as this year’s graduations opened with the Faculty of Applied and Computer Science’s ceremony taking place on Monday, 9 April 2018.

Students walked on stage to collect their National Diplomas and Baccalaureus Technologiae in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry and Biomedical Technology. Whilst others received their Magister Technologiae in Biotechnology and Chemistry and Doctor Technologiae in Chemistry being the last to wrap up the first graduation ceremony session.

One of the graduates in the Faculty of Applied Computer Sciences received her Baccalaureus Technologiae (B-Tech) in Biotechnology and was overjoyed to share her journey to success.

Jilongo Tsakani Hazel from Orange Farm, came to VUT to study Biotechnology from 2014 till 2017, after obtaining her National Diploma in Biotechnology, she was motivated to further her studies and enrolled for her B-Tech in Biotechnology. “I feel so excited and ready to face the corporate world with my qualification,” she said with tears of joy.

She said, it wasn’t as easy for her as it was when she was still studying for her National Diploma. One of her challenges was that she was no longer residing at the Main Campus residence and that she had to travel from home to campus whenever she had classes to attend, but that didn’t hold her back from achieving her goal and keep on moving forward.

“I advise students to study smart and to stay focused at all times,” she said.