Reality show winner earns Dean’s merit award at graduation

THE Durban University of Technology (DUT) graduate, Lisanne Lazarus has two big reasons to celebrate. One reason is her triumphant heroics in the SABC 3 reality show Tropika Island of Treasure (TIOT), which landed her R500 000 as the ultimate winner.

The second reason is that she graduated with a National Diploma in Journalism from DUT on 11 May at Fred Crookes Sports Centre, Steve Biko Campus, Durban, achieving the Dean’s Merit award for her excellent academic results.

“I am so excited and grateful to have achieved a Dean’s Merit award as it was not an easy road for me. I am also a former Miss DUT, Miss eThekwini 2014, Miss SA Campus-1st Princess 2016, Miss Mamelodi Sundowns SA-2nd Princess and Gateway’s brand ambassador. It required a lot of me and I had to go out to events, so I would attend classes, rush off to an event and come back to classes. It took a lot of hard work and dedication to reach this point,” she said.

She also stressed that she’s very competitive and always strives to be the best, be it in a competition or in an examination or test. “I always aim to do my best as I am not satisfied until I obtain the highest mark,” she chuckled.

ALSO READ: Medical graduate defies the odds

Lazarus is currently the Digital Producer for East Coast Radio’s Breakfast Show. Her future plan is to ultimately become a TV presenter. However, she also wants to continue her academic journey and plans to enroll for her BTech in Public Relations Management at DUT. Although she never had any intention of auditioning for the show, fate dictated that she was destined for it.

“I have always known about TIOT, however, it didn’t really strike me to enter. I was completing my Work Integrated Learning (WIL) at Gateway Theatre of Shopping as the head of communications and one of the jobs was to attend the TIOT8 auditions that took place at Gateway and just cover it on social media. Whilst there, I was encouraged by promoters and my superiors to enter. So I did, but for fun,” she said.

Lazarus also has her own non-profit organisation (NGO) called the Lindokuhle Creche. The reason behind the creche she says is that she grew up near a remote area where she was exposed to shack fires. “One day a five-year-old boy called Lindokuhle, died in a shack fire because he was home alone as his parents had nowhere to leave him,” she said. It was this that prompted her to establish the non-profit organization in his honour. Her advice to future Journalism students at DUT is to do it for the passion and always aim to excel in it whatever they do.

Do you want to receive news alerts via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535.

You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail WhatsApp number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts