LOOK: 17-year-old TUKS student completes degree!
While most teenagers are still navigating high school, Mongiwa Hazel Ntuli is ready to take on the world.
At 17-years-old, many big choices are waiting ahead of you.
What do you want to study? Do you even want to go to university or college?
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It can be difficult for teenagers, as they feel they are making life-changing decisions that will determine a big part of their life journey.
That's a lot of responsibility.
But Mongiwa Hazel Ntuli is not your average 17-year-old.
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Growing up in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, Hazel showed remarkable academic promise from a young age.
When I was in Grade 3, I mistakenly wrote a Grade 4 mathematics paper and scored the highest of all the actual Grade 4 students. My teacher identified this and allowed me to write more Grade 4 papers, and saw that I performed exceptionally well.
She excelled, sped through her primary and high school education, and started Actuarial Science studies at the University of Pretoria in 2022.
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As she continued to ace her studies, being much younger than her fellow students posed challenges.
Many students treated me like the little sister they never had. There were a lot of expectations of me, and it got difficult to meet those expectations. I always reminded myself of why I’d started, and made sure that my ‘why’ was strong enough. Having multiple vision boards kept me on track, and of course, prayer.
Hazel had to learn to find her voice in these unfamiliar academic spaces and work with older peers, but it was a valuable learning curve.
She also appreciates the assistance of her mentor from the department, Refilwe Lehobo, the Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Merit Awards team, Momentum mentors, and the office of UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Francis Petersen.
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Now that she has graduated, what will Hazel do next?
She's currently pursuing an honours degree, and in the future, wants to qualify as an actuary and enter the business world when she's ready.
After this, I’m planning to both work and further my studies. I’ve always wanted an MBA. My parents will have their much-deserved bragging rights. It will alleviate a lot of pressure and burdens that my family has been carrying for so long.
Hazel's story is a beautiful example of how hard work pays off.
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Main image courtesy of University of Pretoria