MY EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY AND THE FUTURE SUCCESS “GRADE 12 BACHELOR PASS OPENED DOORS”

 

Taking it from the top, the world is my stage, listen to me when I take you through my life experiences while growing up. Thabiso, aka Thabisha, is giving you the front seat as he shares his story with you today. This piece of writing will be about one word that has all 5 vowels: “EDUCATION”. Thabisha attended a high school in Sasolburg named Cedar Secondary School, where he did his Grade 12 matric in 2013 and passed with a “Bachelor”. The same year he lost his father,  and this was an emotional year for him and his family. The purpose of his life was when he realised the reason why he was born as a queer identifying individual. Thabisha further applied to an institution of higher education and training called the Northwest University (NWUVaal) Campus to study for a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences in order to become a journalist or a news reporter. The passion is derived from his interest in reading, writing, and telling compelling stories that change societal perception on social, economic, and political issues.  In 2014,  he was left with his only supportive structure, which is his mother, Moipone, and since then, he struggled like many other intellectual black individuals who fought for #FEESMUSTFALL of 2015, A South African Student Movement. He began to advocate for access to free higher education. Based on his educational background, Thabisha did not have a bursary or any funding to pay for his tuition to survive. His mother was and still is a domestic worker who would normally send him  R500 for groceries on a monthly basis so he could live and further his studies. You could imagine how it could be! In a higher education institution with no books, food, or financial means to make mere copies of textbooks or buy books that are required in all your modules. That was a trauma for him, and it was a horrible year, as he explains. Thabisha was sustained by faith and hope, which were the only pillars that kept him going because he never stopped applying for multiple bursaries and only received it at the other province university in 2015 at UFS Bloemfontein campus. He had to relocate the following year and enrol for the same degree. He then again registered for a BA in Communication Sciences 4-year course program and finished in 2019. Thabiso then enjoyed his university years so much because he was now privileged and no longer struggling with books and food or any other things. This was a better year for him, unlike in 2014 at Vaal Campus, but his goal was to study and pass so he could change the narrative of poverty and his background. That’s when he joined the University newspaper called “Irawa Post” as a student Journalist and News editor. Like every job, it had its fair challenges. For 3 years while working for the newspaper, he ended up putting an end and joined the campus LGBTQIA+ office of the Gender and Sexuality Office, where they worked with student activists to promote and educate people with different identities and sexual orientations. In 2020, he obtained his first degree and graduated during COVID-19, but unfortunately, that year, graduations were suspended because of regulations that prohibited people from gathering in groups. For a year, he was unemployed and not studying but selling bags and shoes as his main hustle to earn an income to support his family until he got a job again in Bloemfontein as a sales consultant at MiWay Insurance as a lead warmer, Until he got promoted to Johannesburg customer service company called DASHBPO were he worked for 2 years, working with American clients and later joined "Wesbank" a motor industry company the Division of First Rand Bank till July 31st 2025. Thabisha further added that “Good things happen to good people at the right time.” When he got a bursary from FNB Commercial to further his studies and enrolled with the University of South Africa to study an honours Integrated Organisational Communication in 2024, and graduated this year on the 31st May 2025. Thabisha won a Creative Writing competition in June 2025 for the Top 16 best writers and opened a book club review on YouTube in the same month. Thabisha is now freelancing for a few media companies and is seeking full-time employment, more importantly, a career alignment position that is related to his qualifications.