April 6, 2019 – Monash South Africa (MSA) honoured remarkable graduates and current students at their Top Achievers Awards and Graduation Ceremony on Friday 5 April and Saturday, 6 April 2019. The campus staff and Academics are exceedingly proud of the honours bestowed on each of these remarkable students and their ongoing dedication which is allowing each graduate to pave and shape their way to a bright future.
The prestigious annual prizegiving ceremony acknowledges and pays tribute to the top achieving MSA students for the 2018 year in the spheres of academics, sporting, cultural, community engagement and leadership. Students vie for the coveted annual accolades by ensuring their results within respective categories are reflective of their hard work and showcase their individual impact. Many of these students also embark on innovative development projects that drive meaningful change in their local communities. 53 students were recognised on the evening. Beyond the awards evening, MSA also celebrated its 17th graduation ceremony. Attended by the class of 2018, and their excited loved ones, the graduates appeared ready to take on the next chapter of their lives, whether further studies or the workplace.
Pleased of the honours bestowed on these students, Professor Alwyn Louw, MSA President and Academic President said “We are so proud of these students, and the work the students commit to, in order to shape their futures and in so doing inspire the youth in our local community. Beyond academic work, community engagement work and other on campus activities such as sport and cultural pursuits are a vital part of the educational and student experience on our campus – to ensure our students learn to shape the world around them. Remarkably a third of our students participate in some form of volunteerism.”
Passionate graduation speaker Seannah Head, is one such community-oriented individual. She hopes to become a lecturer while working in the Psychological field, one day opening her own practice to make psychological services more accessible to disadvantaged communities.
Seannah graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Social Science (Honours) specialising in Psychology. She is passionate about academia and was awarded the top achiever in Psychological Assessment and Personality Psychology and previously was the Top Achieving Undergraduate Student for Social Sciences in 2017. She participated in the Gradstar awards and was a top 100 student in 2016.
Another excellent graduate is Ulemu Kadango, originating from Blantyre, Malawi, who was also one of the student speakers at the graduation. She graduated Summa Cum Laude in her Bachelor of Business Science (Honours), specialising in Marketing. In 2017 she was awarded top achieving Undergraduate student of Business and Economics and graduated Magna Cum laude in the Bachelor of Business Science, double majoring in Economics and Marketing.
“During my third year and honours year I worked for MSA as a tutor in the Marketing department. Juggling between being a tutor and full-time student was challenging, but I gained valuable experience. I discovered that one of the best ways to learn is by teaching and interacting with students on a weekly basis. This enabled me to develop strong communication and leadership skills as well as boosted my confidence. I will always be grateful for this opportunity,” Kadango explained.
Kadango is currently working as an intern at FDH Bank in Malawi, and is studying towards becoming a Chartered Marketer. She would like to pursue a Masters degree as she sees herself, in future, holding strong leadership positions. She aims to inspire and empower young girls, so that they are courageous, bold and work hard towards their dreams, regardless of their backgrounds and obstacles.
Prof Louw addressed the graduates on the day, indicating that the MSA graduates will always have an educational home to which they can return, whether to increase their knowledge or share it with others. “We look forward, with great anticipation, to watching you go out to make your mark in the world. Given the solid grounding you have received at MSA, we have every confidence that this mark will be a positive and absolutely indelible one, improving your own growth and impacting the human condition in general,” Louw concluded.”
For more information about MSA, visit www.msa.ac.za for information on all the programmes offered.
About MSA:
The MSA campus in Johannesburg is dedicated to support South Africa and the continent to meet its diverse economic and educational needs by producing graduates that are internationally relevant.
The curriculum is collaboratively designed by academic and industry experts. MSA provides customized articulation pathways that support life-long learning and develops graduates who are innovative problem solvers. MSA graduates are equipped with the knowledge, competencies and skills to lead change, shape the future, shape industry and shape the world.
MSA has two academic faculties: The Faculty of Business, Engineering and Technology, and The Faculty of Social and Health Sciences, as well as a one-year pathway Foundation Programme that articulates into MSA undergraduate degrees.
