Heidi Celliers shows off the Hellenistic lamp she unearthed on an archaeological dig at Tel Dor in Israel in 2006, a special find that is now in the museum at Tel Dor
There are often times when one forgets the amazing diversity of the Unisa student population and that persistence and the daily struggle to cope with the demands of family, work and studies don’t have a colour. At the end of the day, it’s just about being human.
For Heidi Celliers, a BA Anthropology and Archaeology student, mother of three boys, grandmother of one, and a Unisa contract worker in the department of African Languages, these words are “very true and hard hitting”.
The passionate and energetic undergraduate administrator says it does not matter what culture, race or gender one is, because everyone has dreams for their selves and their families. “Some are born to be scholars, and the need for academic excellence will always drive us until we cease to exist. Our hardships to fulfil this need just come in different ways. Belonging to a particular racial group does not exempt you from challenges, although many times it is thought to be so.
“When I sit in the examination hall to take my examinations, I realise that I am still so privileged to be one of a very small percentage of our population who have the opportunity to study, and hoping that my circumstances will change, such as obtaining permanent employment and achieving better marks in future.”
Heidi shares her story:
Q: What motivated your studies when you were young?
A: My father, being Austrian, had us exploring the Drakensberg Mountains since he missed yodelling and his Alps. So we travelled from Clarens to Witsieshoek and Mont-aux-Sources, which instilled a love of nature in my being. I dreamt about becoming an explorer, archaeologist, or anthropologist. But, not believing that I could realise that dream, I settled for studying something related to my second passion, entertainment technology, at the then Technikon Pretoria. This was also because my father introduced our family to drama, ballet and opera at the Welkom Oppenheimer Theatre.
Q: Why did you decide to further your studies?
A: I always felt incomplete and, after my divorce, I enrolled for my BA Anthropology and Archaeology at Unisa. I always knew that I could attain still greater heights and that divorce was not the end of it all. I think it was the best thing starting to study again and living out my first passion.
A great plus within my discipline is that you can volunteer to go on excavations while you are studying. In 2006, I scraped together all my savings and went excavating in Israel with Professor Coenie Scheepers and Professor Willem Boshoff from the Department of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies. It was a life-changing experience to stand at the Wailing Wall, after feeling a failure in life, and realise a new world was opening up to me.”
Q: What challenges do you face daily?
A: The challenge comes with trying to realise your passion at a later age and raising three boys with minimum finances. As a Unisa contract employee, I have to pay for my studies and do not qualify for study leave. This means I cannot enrol for more than three modules a year and, therefore, it is taking forever to complete my degree. Not having a proper place to study in our small rental house is also a huge challenge. Not having domestic help eats away into the time for studies. I am halfway with my degree, but the challenge to study is becoming greater as the financial demands and the demands of being a mom are growing. My eldest son is now married, so I have my duties as a grandmother as well.
Q: What motivates you to keep at your studies?
A: Not losing what I have achieved so far in working towards my passion, the money I have had to spend so far, and the impact my studies have on the general knowledge and intellectual development of me and my children. Completing my studies will increase my employment opportunities and open up the door to more career opportunities.
Q: How do you manage as a contract worker and a single mother – what gets you by?
A: Missing out on the many benefits of a permanent employee is a huge drawback. You learn to get by with the bare necessities. With the cost of living, it is getting harder to scrape by, and not being able to have regular vacations because of financial constraints takes its toll. But being attached to the university also gives me opportunities to enrich my children and myself by visiting the Unisa Observatory and attending lectures of the Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Society for a minimum membership fee.
Q: What are your employment duties at Unisa?
A: I am an undergraduate administrator in the department of African Languages, after previously working at the Unit for Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS and Health (USBAH) in the Department of Sociology. I handle administrative duties such as the annual report, translation project, and helping with the budget, to mention a few. I manage our departmental website and, during April 2011, I started our departmental Facebook social networking site. Our department also has an African Languages Literary Information Museum and, as co-ordinator, I arrange monthly events and community outreach projects. It is wonderful that aspects of my studies also fall within my job description.
Q: How do your children inspire you?
A: When you get back what you have given to your children, be it love or education, it inspires you. My three sons are unique, with their own strengths and passions, and I have to keep going because they look up to me to be able to provide and give them a sense of security… At the end of our lives, our children will be the measure of what we have attained in life. Through this process, we hope we will leave a good legacy to humankind.
Q: What advice do you have for your fellow students?
A: My wish for other struggling students, whatever their plight might be, is not to lose their hope and faith. Remember, this is YOUR DREAM! Keep pushing on; one day you will look back and you will be amazed at how far you have come, by the grace, prayers, and support of loved ones and friends. And picture your graduation day!
*Source: Inspired Vol 7, No 1; November 2011
