Bittersweet graduation

Graduation days often come with jubilations and tears of joy for many as they reminisce on the journey travelled to finally get the invitation to the graduation ceremony. While this could apply to the husband and wife who were conferred with a PhD, it was a bittersweet day for Mrs Hantie Steyn, mother of a deceased student, who was supposed to be amongst the 251 graduates to receive their qualifications on 1 October 2019 at the University of South Africa (Unisa).

(On the left, the late Lize-Marie Steyn and on the right, Mrs Hantie Steyn receiving the qualification on behalf of her late daughter Lize-Marie)

Mrs Steyn received a posthumous degree in Financial Accounting from the College of Accounting Sciences on behalf of her daughter, Lize-Marie Steyn, during the Unisa spring graduations. According to her mother, Lize-Marie received her results on Saturday 27 July 2019 before she passed away on 29 July 2019. The 25-year-old suffered from a rare Angiosarcoma cancer. Despite cancer and chemotherapy, she still worked at an auditing firm, Middel & Partner, in Pretoria East. “I am glad that she knew before she died that she had completed her degree, and as a mother I am proud of her ‒ at the age of 25 she has achieved a lot. She dedicated her degree to her father who passed away 16 years ago. Lize-Marie showed us that there is no reason to stop your life because you have an illness or living with a disability”, she concluded.

The awarding of a posthumous degree has frequently brought closure to a tragic situation for the family and friends of the deceased student as well as the University.

On a sweeter note

On a sweeter note, husband and wife Mr Christoffel Smit and Mrs Lindie Smit, obtained their doctoral degrees (DLitt et Phil) from the College of Law.

(Mr Christoffel and Mrs Lindie Smit received their doctoral degrees (DLitt et Phil) from College of Law)

Speaking about their graduation the elated couple said that it is a surreal feeling and they are truly grateful that they were able to accomplish this milestone as a couple while being professionals within the South African Police Service (SAPS). The Smits are officers attached to the division, Human Resource Utilisation (HRU) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI) respectively.

 “The glory should go to our Lord and Saviour for all the blessings He bestowed upon us during this journey, He is truly great. As eluded by Einstein who stated, ‘Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value’. This kept us grounded during our studies”, they said.

They also said that it was important for them to manage their schedules, motivate each other and study together. “We wanted to create the habit of studying as a family and we lead by example for our children. Our daughters subsequently see us studying over weekends and holidays to such an extent that they likewise followed suit. This assisted us in building a foundation for the future ‒ not just as a couple but also as a family. Education should be a family activity like attending sport events and not something that one sees as an obligation but rather something that brings a family closer. Our daughters are also studying to attain qualifications in the health and care environment”.

They also remarked that their weekends were mainly spent at libraries as well as behind their laptops conducting research on their respective titles. “We had to prioritise but were assisted by our two daughters with their extra-ordinary household skills, which allow us enough space to be able to focus on our research. There were good days and bad days, but we had to learn to share every day’s responsibilities, ideas and initiatives and to plan and motivate each other throughout this journey. As the old saying goes ‘two heads are better than one’. We believed that we should all work together to achieve our set goals in life,” added the Smit couple.

The Smit family also believes that studying together strengthened their relationship as it gave them an opportunity to experience new challenges together and it pushed them out of their comfort zone. “The journey to grow personally and professionally gives us a great sense of achievement and having your partner on the same journey makes you feel extra proud. Over and above, we met supportive and academic role models that understood and motivated our culture and language to be disciplined, focused and committed to your studies,” said Lindie.

“Although time was limited, it was very important to stay healthy and balanced in life. Einstein explained that ‘there are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle’”, concluded Christoffel.

*By: Edgar Rathelele, Senior Media Officer, Directorate of Institutional Advancement