{"id":35478,"date":"2026-04-22T10:44:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T10:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=35478"},"modified":"2026-05-14T12:48:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T12:48:04","slug":"from-setback-to-standout-vut-tourism-management-graduate-earns-sole-cum-laude","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/from-setback-to-standout-vut-tourism-management-graduate-earns-sole-cum-laude\/","title":{"rendered":"From setback to standout: VUT Tourism Management graduate earns sole cum laude"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Goitsemang Ms Marago earns the only cum laude in Tourism Management at Vaal University of Technology (VUT), standing out among the 60th generation of graduates through resilience, discipline, and academic excellence.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

20 April 2026 | Story by: Shaun Michael Ndou | Picture: Sifiso Nomzaza<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 minutes read time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"From<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ms Goitsemang Marago\u2019s journey to the graduation stage is not one of effortless success, but of quiet resilience, discipline, and the courage to begin again when things fall apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A postgraduate student at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), she graduated cum laude in Tourism Management during the 2026 graduation ceremonies, joining the University\u2019s historic 60th generation of graduates. Within this milestone cohort, she stood alone in her class as the only student to achieve this distinction, a moment that speaks not only to academic excellence, but to endurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born and raised in Vanderbijlpark, Ms Marago chose to pursue her studies at her home institution. Her academic path began in 2019, unfolding steadily until it was interrupted by a setback in 2023 when she failed a module. For many, that moment might have signalled the end of momentum. For her, it became a turning point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than retreat, she recalibrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She introduced structure into her daily life, transforming how she approached her studies. Each day was planned with intention, each subject given its time and focus. What once felt overwhelming became manageable through discipline and consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had to plan my work carefully by writing a daily study schedule in my notepad, specifying which module I would focus on at a particular time,\u201d said Ms Goitsemang Marago, a Tourism Management graduate. \u201cAlthough I experienced setbacks, I remained determined to work hard and complete my qualifications.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her determination was rooted not only in personal ambition, but in a family tradition that values education. That foundation carried her through her postgraduate year in 2025, where she remained focused despite the many distractions that come with university life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Ms Marago, success was not about isolation, but about balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBalance is very important,\u201d she said. \u201cKnow how to balance having fun with your friends and also studying alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This understanding became her compass. It allowed her to stay grounded while still engaging with the social rhythm of campus life. In mastering that balance, she did more than complete her qualification, she rose to the very top of her cohort within the 60th generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, her journey continues. She plans to remain at VUT to pursue a master\u2019s degree, with her sights set on a PhD in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her story reflects the spirit of the 60th generation, a cohort defined not only by academic achievement, but by resilience, renewal, and the determination to rise beyond circumstance. For Ms Marago, success was not handed to her. It was built, step by step, through perseverance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, her journey stands as a reminder that excellence is not always immediate. Sometimes, it is forged in moments of doubt, shaped by discipline, and realised through the quiet refusal to give up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catch the full experience on Flickr <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Goitsemang Ms Marago earns the only cum laude in Tourism Management at Vaal University of Technology (VUT), standing out among […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":35551,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news-vaal-university-of-technology","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t