Image source: Petra van Raaij, published here courtesy of Fusion Models
Proving that Unisa’s students are blessed with both brains and looks, Genevieve Morton, enrolled for a BA in Communication Science, has been named men’s lifestyle magazine FHM’s sexiest woman in the world. We sat down with the blonde beauty to find out how she balances a demanding career with the rigours of student life.
Why did you choose Communication Science as field of study?
Originally I wanted to use the degree to assist me in writing, but I have found that the subjects within the course have far more value in my current career than I had anticipated. It is really interesting for me to see a different perspective of the media industry.
Your modelling career has really taken off and must take up a great deal of your time – how do you manage to fit in your studies?
My modelling career is very important to me, and having recently taken up the study of acting as well I have to work really hard to maintain balance in my life. Fortunately I have a great manager, Marlon, who helps me to find ways to balance it all.
I realised that I needed a good education regardless of other successes. In order to study through Unisa I have to travel with my books, which has been quite a challenge as textbooks are very heavy. Thankfully the myUnisa website has all the course material available and at the start of each semester I download everything. The biggest challenge for me has been to complete the assignments while travelling. I am based primarily in the USA, and in my course a lot of the assignments require me to use newspaper articles, or refer to local news – this has been quite difficult.
I have found myself sitting on planes going from one side of the world to the other, doing the assignments and having to calculate what time I will land and what time it will be in South Africa in order to get the assignments in at the right time. One particular instance was quite funny: I was shooting on an island in Fiji and the Internet connectivity was so bad that I would wander around the island with my computer trying to find the best signal to submit my assignments. I feel, though, that ultimately obtaining the qualification will be so much more satisfying since I’ve had to deal with these extra challenges.
How do you successfully combine a professional career with academic pursuits?
The biggest lesson I have learnt is that I need to be realistic about what I can achieve and how much work I will be able to do. Initially I signed up for too few subjects, and at other times for too many. It’s difficult to stay committed to the final goal, and at times I wanted to throw in the towel. But then I remind myself that I have been working consistently, and if I just keep doing that I will get there. Lastly, I try not to be too hard on myself when I have to redo a subject for whatever reason. I remind myself that I am trying to juggle a lot of things, so dropping a ball now and then is not the end of the world.
How will you be using the Unisa qualification in your career?
I already use a lot of the things I study in my career. For example, one of the subjects dealt with online marketing and media. As I manage my own Facebook page, Twitter account and a vast number of other social networking sites, I could use my own pages as a testing ground for the theory I had learnt. Once I’ve completed the degree I hope to combine it with my experience as a model, and to work in the world of media.
What are your plans for the future?
I am working hard on my modelling career, and looking forward to learning more about acting. Regardless of the road ahead, at least I know I will always have my degree behind me.
Follow Genevieve on Twitter – @genevievemorton
