Youth from disadvantaged areas should make it their priority to study at universities to transform their communities. This is the view of University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) new alumnus, Kgaogelo Mkhonto, who recently graduated cum laude with a national diploma in Banking on Wednesday, 3 May 2017.

“Education is very important. Lives improve when people get the opportunity to study at higher education and training institutions. When you go to rural areas, and the small towns where most people in those communities know each other, you will notice that the youth that is spending their time improving their lives through education tend to have better opportunities in life compared to those that don’t,” says Mkhonto.

Mkhonto draws inspiration from seeing people become successful, especially those that come from humble beginnings. “I passed cum laude because I believe I am capable of achieving anything I put my mind, effort and focus to, and I’m passionate about education as a whole. Hard work is always a great thing when we combine it with working smarter,” explains Mkhonto.

She is a God-fearing woman who says that she believes that anything with God is possible. “My advice to anyone that would like to be like me or do even better than me, is that they need to know and embrace the saying that ‘your past does not define your future’, always focus on the future and the things you can control,” adds Mkhonto.

This year, Mkhonto says she will be seeking work experience and plans to register to study for a BTech at UJ in 2018.