{"id":42943,"date":"2026-09-15T13:40:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T13:40:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=42943"},"modified":"2026-09-15T13:40:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T13:40:32","slug":"she-thought-her-dream-was-over-today-angel-malele-is-a-vut-graduate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/she-thought-her-dream-was-over-today-angel-malele-is-a-vut-graduate\/","title":{"rendered":"She thought her dream was over. Today, Angel Malele is a VUT graduate"},"content":{"rendered":"

“After health challenges forced her to step away from her studies, Angel Pholoso Malele returned to complete her Diploma in Information Technology and is now pursuing her dream of becoming a Network Engineer.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

15 September 2026 | Story by: Qhawekazi Memani | Picture: Keitumetse Mokgope<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\n \n
\nFrom dream to reality, Angel Pholoso Malele graduates with a Diploma in Information Technology during VUT’s Spring Graduation 2026. Her journey of perseverance and determination serves as an inspiration to aspiring graduates facing their own challenges.\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When Angel Pholoso Malele walked across the stage at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) on 14 September 2026, she carried far more than a qualification in her hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She carried the weight of a journey marked by pain, uncertainty and resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of VUT’s 60th Generation of Graduates, Malele proudly received her Diploma in Information Technology from the Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences. It was a moment she once believed she would never experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The young woman from Burgersfort in Limpopo had always dreamed of obtaining a university qualification and building a career in technology. Encouraged by teachers who recognised her strength in Mathematics, she chose Information Technology and set her sights on a future in the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I really wanted to go to school, and my teachers encouraged me to do IT because I am good in Maths,” she recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, that dream is becoming a reality. Malele is completing a System Support internship and hopes to grow her expertise before pursuing her long-term goal of becoming a Network Engineer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the road to graduation was far from easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During her studies, she began experiencing serious health challenges, including eye problems, persistent headaches and painful legs. The long hours required for IT studies became increasingly difficult to manage. Concentrating on coursework was often a struggle, and her health started affecting both her academic progress and daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, she made the difficult decision to step away from her studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2023, Malele took a break from university to focus on her wellbeing and pursue a spiritual journey. At the time, she had no certainty that she would ever return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When I dropped out in 2023, I thought I would never make it,” she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many students, that could have been the end of the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Malele, it became the beginning of a new chapter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supported by her faith, her family and close friends, she gradually regained the strength and confidence to continue pursuing her goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Their support means everything to me,” she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Returning to university required courage. It meant overcoming the fear of starting again and trusting that her dream was still within reach. Step by step, she rebuilt her confidence, completed her studies and gained practical industry experience through her internship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, as a graduate, she looks back on everything she has overcome with a deep sense of pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It feels amazing and very emotional,” she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“From eye problems, headaches, painful legs, dropping out in 2023, to now graduating and doing my internship in System Support, I am so proud of myself. I overcame everything.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For her family, graduation represents proof that perseverance can overcome even the most difficult setbacks. For Malele, it is the fulfilment of a dream she feared had slipped away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It means a lot. For my family, it means that I’ve made it despite health challenges and dropping out. For me, it means my dream came true.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her experience has given her a powerful message for other students facing challenges of their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She encourages them not to measure their success by how quickly they reach their goals, but by their willingness to keep moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Don’t give up. If you have a calling like me, go pursue it and take care of yourself,” she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malele also believes students should not feel ashamed if they need to step away from their studies to focus on their wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If you need to pause for your spiritual journey like I did in 2023, it’s okay. You can come back.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her story serves as a reminder that success is not always a straight path. Sometimes it includes setbacks, unexpected detours and moments of doubt. What matters is finding the courage to begin again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With her Diploma in Information Technology now completed, Malele hopes to secure a permanent position in the IT sector, continue developing her technical skills and build a future that will positively impact both her life and that of her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking ahead, she is excited about what comes next. Looking back, she is grateful she never gave up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not long ago, Angel Pholoso Malele was convinced that her university journey had come to an end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, she stands proudly among VUT’s graduates, proof that even when dreams are temporarily put on hold, they can still come true.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“After health challenges forced her to step away from her studies, Angel Pholoso Malele returned to complete her Diploma in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":42948,"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-42943","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