{"id":35696,"date":"2026-04-22T16:11:40","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T16:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=35696"},"modified":"2026-04-22T16:18:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T16:18:35","slug":"a-moment-that-moved-a-generation-management-sciences-graduates-urged-to-create-their-own-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/a-moment-that-moved-a-generation-management-sciences-graduates-urged-to-create-their-own-path\/","title":{"rendered":"A moment that moved a generation: Management Sciences graduates urged to create their own path"},"content":{"rendered":"

“A powerful graduation address at the Vaal University of Technology inspires the Class of 2026 to embrace purpose, resilience, and creativity as they step into the future.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

20 April 2026 | Story by: Nontobeko Moimane | Picture: Keitumetsi Mokgope<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are speeches that are heard, and there are those that settle quietly into the heart. On 22 April 2026, during a graduation session of the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), the Faculty of Management Sciences witnessed the latter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set against the significance of the University\u2019s 60th year, the ceremony unfolded as more than a formal occasion. It became a gathering of stories, of sacrifice carried in silence, of families who had waited, hoped, and believed. The hall held a particular kind of energy, one shaped by pride, gratitude, and the quiet understanding that something meaningful had been earned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the centre of this moment stood Ms Immaculata Segooa, Head of Marketing Operations at Discovery, who delivered a keynote address that felt less like a speech and more like a conversation with a generation on the brink of becoming. Speaking as a leader, a mother, and a fellow traveller, she reached beyond titles and connected with the lived realities of the graduates before her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday is a day of jubilation, of tears, of thanksgiving, and of deep, quiet relief,\u201d she said, capturing what many in the room could not easily put into words. \u201cFor some, this is the first degree in the family. For others, it is another chapter in a long story of resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the heart of her message was a simple yet striking image: life as a canvas. Each graduate, she explained, leaves the University with the same basic tools, knowledge, skills, and experience, yet what they create will depend entirely on the choices they make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She spoke of three kinds of people. Those who photocopy, following paths already drawn. Those who correct, spending their lives trying to fix what has already passed. And those who create, who step forward with courage to shape something new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWill you photocopy, correct, or create?\u201d she asked, leaving the question to linger in the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her words carried weight, particularly as she spoke about the world awaiting graduates across fields such as marketing, retail business management, and sports management. It is a world that demands more than competence. It calls for integrity, for imagination, and for the courage to lead with purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She did not ignore the realities of a rapidly changing landscape. Reflecting on the rise of artificial intelligence, she reminded graduates that while technology may evolve, the essence of being human must remain intact. Character, ethics, and creativity, she insisted, cannot be outsourced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a deeply reflective moment, she shared what she described as \u201ceight lenses for life\u201d, guiding thoughts rather than rigid rules. She spoke of gratitude for those who made the journey possible, of recognising seasons of growth, of staying open to opportunity, and of learning to understand<\/p>\n\n\n\n

oneself. She urged graduates to honour family, to learn from failure, to build careers that are not confined to a single path, and to practise respect as a constant, not a convenience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her reflections on failure resonated with particular honesty. Drawing from her own experience of pausing her studies during a difficult chapter, she reminded graduates that setbacks do not define the end of a story. They often mark the place where growth begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFailure is not final,\u201d she said. \u201cA bend in the road is not the end of the road.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was also space for recognition. She turned to families, to parents and guardians whose sacrifices often remain unseen. \u201cYour fingerprints are on these degrees,\u201d she told them. \u201cYour sacrifices are walking across this stage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a moment that felt both personal and profound, she acknowledged her executive assistant as a creator in her own right, quietly challenging the idea that success is measured only by titles. Growth, purpose, and the willingness to step into new possibilities, she suggested, are the true markers of achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As her address drew to a close, she left graduates with words that carried both weight and invitation. \u201cWhether you see today as one day, or day one, the paintbrush is in your hands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In that moment, the ceremony shifted. It was no longer only about degrees conferred, but about journeys beginning. For the Class of 2026, and especially as part of the University\u2019s 60th generation, the message was clear. The future will not simply unfold. It will be created.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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