Despite Failing Math in Grade 12, Gauteng Woman Slays As Professor of Mathematics at Unisa, Inspires Students

• One woman who resides in Gauteng, is a true example of how hard work and resilience eventually lead to success
• Despite failing Mathematics in Grade 12 and being forced to repeat the year, Dephney Mathebula is now an entire associate professor at Unisa
• The hard-working lady now aims to encourage girls from rural areas to take on jobs in STEM

One inspiring woman, who grew up in Muyexe village in Limpopo and now resides in Gauteng, is doing the absolute most in the fields of Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Despite failing Mathematics in Grade 12, Dephney Mathebula is now a very successful professor of Mathematics at the University of South Africa (Unisa) and functions as an associate at the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences.

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While the perseverant woman passed matric in 2000, because she failed Mathematics, her entire Grade 12 year needed to be repeated, the University of Venda wrote.

After passing all her subjects in 2001, Dephney enrolled for a Bachelor of Science in Statistics and Mathematics at the University of Venda in 2002, Women Power Africa wrote.

Thereafter, she completed her honours and master’s degrees in BioMathematics at Stellenbosch University before becoming the first person to bag a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Venda in 2018, The South African wrote.

Now, Prof Dephney aims to inspire young girls in rural areas to broaden their horizons and take on careers in STEM. She told the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences that young people should follow their passions:

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“My advice to young people who aspire to follow careers in the mathematical sciences is to establish a network with those who have walked the same journey.

"Such mentors will help them to take their failures as motivation to press on towards their goals. Although I failed mathematics in grade 12, I never let that discourage me and pressed on towards my goal."

Prof Dephney then expressed gratitude to everyone who helped her along her journey and noted that all young people can become successful through hard work and perseverance.

Africa’s youngest PhD holder Musawenkosi Donia Saurombe slays as lecturer at University of Johannesburg

In a related story, Briefly News also wrote about Zimbabwean-born Musawenkosi Donia Saurombe, who made history by becoming Africa’s youngest student to bag a PhD in 2017.

The smart woman obtained her doctoral degree from North-West University (NWU) in industrial and organisational psychology. Now, the lovely lady is moulding other students and working hard as a senior lecturer at the University of Johannesburg.

Source: Briefly News