{"id":43007,"date":"2026-09-16T09:12:21","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T09:12:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=43007"},"modified":"2026-09-16T09:17:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T09:17:54","slug":"from-the-starting-blocks-to-the-graduation-stage-ms-neo-mareletses-journey-of-resilience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/from-the-starting-blocks-to-the-graduation-stage-ms-neo-mareletses-journey-of-resilience\/","title":{"rendered":"From the starting blocks to the graduation stage: Ms Neo Mareletse’s journey of resilience"},"content":{"rendered":"

“VUT graduate Neo Mareletse reflects on balancing athletics and academics, overcoming financial challenges and earning her Bachelor of Communication.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

16 September 2026 | Story by: Ntebogeleng Digasu | Picture:<\/strong>\u00a0Kutlwano Ramokopelwa ( Campus TV )<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\n \n
\n Neo Mareletse, a dedicated athlete and graduate, proudly earns her Bachelor of Communication after balancing academics, athletics and financial challenges with determination and resilience.\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For Ms Neo Mareletse, crossing the graduation stage at the Vaal University of Technology’s Spring Graduation ceremonies on 14 September 2026 was about more than receiving a Bachelor of Communication degree. It was the culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice and determination as she balanced the demands of academics and athletics while overcoming financial challenges that threatened to stand in the way of her dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the biggest obstacles Ms Mareletse faced during her studies was securing funding. After being unable to obtain support through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), she had to find alternative ways to continue her education. Rather than allowing the setback to define her, she turned to one of her greatest passions, athletics, which became an important part of her university journey and helped her remain focused on her goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up in Seapoint, Sharpeville, Ms Mareletse developed a love for running at a young age. A dedicated 100m and 200m sprinter, she has spent most of her life on the track. Joining the university athletics team allowed her to continue pursuing the sport she loved while also providing opportunities that helped her navigate student life. More importantly, athletics taught her valuable lessons about discipline, commitment and resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I have always loved athletics from a young age, and I have been running for as long as I can remember,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Balancing sport and academics was not always easy. Training sessions, competitions, lectures and assignments often competed for her attention, requiring careful planning and strong time-management skills. Over time, she realised that success depended on making the most of every available hour and avoiding habits that could slow her progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I had to learn to be efficient. I stopped procrastinating because it only delayed the things I needed to get done. Completing my assignments as soon as I received them helped me become more productive,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While many people saw the achievements, few saw the challenges behind them. Managing the physical demands of athletics while meeting academic deadlines often left her exhausted. There were times when she felt mentally, physically and emotionally drained, yet she continued pushing forward because she refused to lose sight of her goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The fatigue was mental, physical and emotional. Both academics and athletics require sacrifice and your very best, and sometimes you have so little left for yourself,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the challenges, Ms Mareletse remained determined to succeed. Each completed assignment, every training session and every obstacle she overcame brought her one step closer to graduation. The experience taught her that resilience is not about avoiding difficulties but about continuing to move forward even when the road ahead seems difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back, graduation was a deeply personal moment. It represented not only academic achievement but also the sacrifices she had made, the setbacks she had overcome and the faith that carried her through some of her toughest days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I fought so hard to get to this point, and it showed me that God really does listen. I feel so blessed to have experienced this. It gives me hope that soon everything else will align,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As she celebrates this milestone, Ms Mareletse hopes her journey will encourage other students facing challenges of their own. Whether those obstacles are financial, academic or personal, she believes persistence and hard work can help people achieve their goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Ms Mareletse, the graduation stage represented another finish line reached through discipline, resilience and determination. It was a moment that affirmed the value of every sacrifice she made and every challenge she overcame. As she looks ahead to the future, she does so knowing that the same perseverance that carried her through university will continue to guide her in the next chapter of her journey.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“VUT graduate Neo Mareletse reflects on balancing athletics and academics, overcoming financial challenges and earning her Bachelor of Communication.” 16 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":43008,"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],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news-vaal-university-of-technology"],"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