Lady who matriculated at 43 earns electrical engineering diploma at 64
- Randeka Nghonyama graduated with a higher qualification in electrical engineering at the age of 64
- Nghonyama completed high school at the age of 43
- It took Nghonyama 16 years to graduate from TUT
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If Randeka Nghonyama teaches us one thing, it is that it's never too late to pursue one's dreams.
The 64-year-old obtained her National Diploma in Electrical Engineering during the Tshwane University of Technology’s Spring Graduations.
TUT took to Facebook to share Nghonyama's inspiring story and it proved that no one's dreams are invalid - regardless of race, age or gender.
Nghonyama returned to high school at the age of 40 after unforeseen circumstances forced her to drop out in her youth.
By 43, the inspiring gogo matriculated and decided to further her education even more. Nghonyama initially wanted to become a nurse but she had no success after enrolling in several nursing colleges.
She then decided to apply to TUT's Electrical Engineering Programme in 2003 and was accepted.
Source: Facebook
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Briefly.co.za learned it took the now-graduate 16 years to complete her studies but she did not once give up on her dreams.
Her journey to graduation was far from easy and Nghonyama had to overcome several struggles - including financial difficulties, attending classes with younger people and failing modules as a result of her age.
In 2010, she decided to take a much-needed break from her studies, only having one subject left to do.
In 2017, after Dumezweni Reuben, a technician at FEBE, informed her about the phasing out of national diplomas, Nghonyama decided to register for her final subject.
“I wanted to prove to myself that despite coming from a (difficult) childhood, I can do anything I put my mind to. As the older generation, we must go out and attain new skills, while the younger generation should keep pushing us,” she said.
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Source: Briefly News
