NWU graduate Thabo Rakuba recently made his family proud after achieving 21 distinctions out of 28 modules.
The recent graduate who owes it all to his family’s support and his peers’ motivation says nothing is impossible. Originally from Mahikeng, Thabo says from an early age, he attended a strict Christian primary school, where it was not difficult for him to stand out from the crowd as a top student.
“Throughout my early school career, I received a trophy at every awards ceremony for either academics or leadership,” he says proudly.
When he reached high school, he was freed a bit from the strict rules and began to ‘slack’, Even though he did not maintain his top performance, he received merits for hard work. At the end of matric, he achieved two distinctions and moved to Potchefstroom to continue his studies.
When he arrived, he enrolled in a marketing course at Boston College. In his second year in 2018, he had financial problems and was forced to return home and take a gap year. During this year, Thabo kept himself busy by participating in pageants and growing a social media following, which later led to him working on brand campaigns. But even though the young man had a lot going on for him, he was determined to continue studying.
Instead of returning to Boston, he registered for a preparatory course at the NWU Mahikeng campus and started his first year in BA Public Governance, with Public Administration on the Potchefstroom campus. “By the time I returned to Potch, my friends were Golden Key achievers, and they were already about to graduate,” he recalls. “This motivated me, and I had the mind-set that if my peers could maintain their top-achievers status throughout varsity, then so could I,” he said.
But that was much easier said than done. Throughout his studies, the now 25-year-old dealt with challenges that almost deterred him from his goal. “I was always keen to learn more and would always participate in class. Many saw this as me thinking I know everything; many found me unapproachable.
“This really hurt me because I am an extremely social person and always willing to help the next person. I had to constantly remind myself that I had started my studies on my own and was going to graduate on my own. That helped me channel the negative comments elsewhere and focus on my main goal,” he said.
Now a degree holder, Thabo says it is vital to remember why you started your studies in the first place. “Manage your time wisely and be mindful of the company you keep. Nothing is impossible; the word itself spells ‘I’m possible’,” he said
