Obsessed with Judge Judy from a young age, Nicolene Steyn (26) says her mom always teased her and said she would someday become a judge. Although Nicolene couldn’t see it then, she is the youngest person in the NWU Law Faculty’s history to obtain her PhD a few years later.
Nicolene says things weren’t always easy, however. When she submitted her research on 18 December, all she could do was hope for the best. Even though she was an overachiever throughout her school years, Nicolene says she never, for one moment, imagined that she would obtain a Doctorate, let alone at such a young age.
Although Nicolene matriculated at 18, like most teenagers, she pushed herself beyond her limits throughout varsity, finishing each degree a year earlier than expected. “I always motivated myself by setting incredibly high standards,” the now 26-year-old explained. So, when the Covid-19 pandemic forced many to work at home, Nicolene saw it as an opportunity to focus all her time and effort on completing her PhD earlier than anticipated.
“It was only in July last year that I decided to complete my PhD. My supervisor, Prof. Anél du Plessis, was completely overwhelmed but encouraged me and said I could do it,” Nicolene recalled. Whenever she was tired and wanted to take a nap while studying, she always looked at a photo of her father, who passed away from a stroke shortly after her 21st birthday.
Losing her father meant the family’s finances dropped significantly, but Nicolene had to remain strong and push herself, even more, to afford a better life for her family. “As much of a shock my fathers passing was and the pain it caused, I used it as a motivation to keep going. Once he left us, I knew it was my responsibility to do what my father would have wanted me to do; take care of my mother and my family,” she added. Nicolene describes last year as extremely tough, proving that she had much more discipline than she ever thought.
Originally from Zeerust in North West, Nicolene’s mother was a stay-at-home mom who took care of her and her two elder brothers while her father was the sole breadwinner. “My mother played a huge role in my development and passion for learning and reading. She always said that if you’re not going to do a good job, then don’t do it at all.”
With her father being in the recycling business, Nicolene and her family were not particularly well off. The business was quite unreliable due to the many competitors in their small town. She says she realised that when she only had takeouts and cereal at a much later stage in her life.
Nicolene says, as cliché as it sounds, one can do anything you put your mind to. “Set daily goals and try your best to get them done,” she said. Nicolene notes that none of it would have been possible without the help of the bursaries she received and the help and support from the community.
Nicolene conducted her PhD studies under the expert supervision of Prof. Anél du Plessis (the CLES chair holder) and the co-supervision of Prof. Wian Erlank, on “The realisation of the constitutional water right in South African cities through intelligent water management technologies”. During her PhD studies, Nicolene was also employed full-time at CLES as a PhD researcher.
Student makes history after obtaining PhD | Potchefstroom Herald
