Circuit manager urges matrics to work hard

Dr Sybil Mubi is truly an inspirational woman and one of the province’s best success stories. She has gone through various provincial teaching ranks until her recent appointment as circuit manager of Nkomazi West. . “Our grade 12s have to identify the gap/s in the world and muscle up to close them. There is no harm in pushing yourself beyond the limit. It is not about adding numbers or registering one’s name on the list of graduates, rather it is about standing out and being discovered by potential employers,” she said. Mubi urged all youngsters to thoroughly research available career opportunities. Read: ANC caucus in Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature wishes matrics best of luck “Your choice should take into consideration that there are many young people who have graduated in various fields of study, but they are unemployed and some are unemployable. A reason could be that they either followed a path that is already overcrowded, or the market does not need the skills that they have acquired.” Mubi was raised in Steenbok before her family relocated to to KaMhlushwa. Like many girls of the village, she attended a government school. Discussing her life’s journey, she said she had been compelled by circumstances to acquire a job immediately after matric to make ends meet. She also taught as an unqualified high school teacher for two years before pursuing her studies at the University of Zululand. Also read: Actress joins mission to prepare pupils for exams Her breakthrough was in 1994, when she received R1 000 from her aunt, the late Joyce Ngomane, to register at the university. “Like any determined individual I had to direct all my energy towards good grades to obtain funding for my studies. Through hard work, I was granted a bursary worth R4 500 after my first semester and later received funding from the Mpumalanga Department of Education in my second year. I also had the opportunity from my first year to conduct tutorials for students who were doing Afrikaans,” she said. Mubi started working as a professional teacher in 1998 and was promoted to work for the Department of Education in the Ehlanzeni District in 2008. Also read : Motshekga wishes matrics good luck From 2016 to date, she has held the position of being a circuit manager, first in an acting capacity and later on a permanent basis. She is inspired by well-known motivational speaker and author, Prof Abbey Mdhluli. He is also her partner. “He is the reason I’m called Dr Sybil today. He really is a godsend source of inspiration,” she said. However, Mubi said the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has deprived her of the opportunities to interact with learners and guide them through their studies.