Academic giants awarded medals at graduation

Students who completed their qualifications with flying colours were awarded medals at this year’s Autumn Graduation.

Nikita Jansen Van Vuuren, who obtained the ND: Food Technology, was awarded the Dean’s medal by Prof Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Prof Olelan Fatoki.

Nikita obtained distinctions in all 21 subjects with a final aggregate of 88% over the three years of study. She is currently studying towards a BTech degree in Food Technology.

EXCELLENCE: Prof Rishidaw Balkaran, DVC: Academic, Marshall Sheldon, DVC: Research, Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, Dean’s Medallist Nikita Jansen Van Vuuren and Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Prof Olelan Fatoki. Nikita obtained distinctions in all 21 subjects in ND: Food Technology with a final aggregate of 88% over the three years of study.

Photos: Lauren Kansley

Ray April, who obtained the ND: Somatology, received the Dean’s Medal from Health & Wellness Sciences Acting Dean, Prof Penelope Engel-Hills.

Ray obtained her Senior Certificate at Worcester Gymnasium School in December 2014 and in 2016 registered for the ND: Somatology programme and obtained 18 distinctions with a final aggregate of 82 % over the three years of study.

Ray is presently registered for the BTech degree in Somatology programme. She plans to pursue a career in lecturing and would like to enter the Masters' programme in the future as she is very interested in research.

Daniel Stuck (ND: Maritime Studies) is the Dean’s Medallist for the Faculty of Engineering after obtaining an average of 86.9%, with distinctions in all 29 subjects.

He registered for the first year of his National Diploma in Maritime Studies in 2014 and returned to complete his diploma in 2018, after spending four years at sea completing his sea-time.

Sumone Herholdt (ND: Building and BTech: Quantity Surveying) walked away with the Vice-Chancellor’s medal.

Sumone obtained her National Diploma in Building in 2017, with an average of 81.2%, obtaining distinctions in 14 of 17 subjects, and also winning the best National Diploma Student Award. She registered for her BTech in Quantity Surveying in 2018, obtaining distinctions in all 7 of her subjects, with an average of 86.6%. Her average for the ND: Building and BTech: Quantity Surveying combined was 82.8%.

Her dreams of becoming a Quantity Surveyor took shape when Sumone joined the LWA Quantity Surveyors team in November of 2018 as a junior quantity surveyor. She is currently in the process of working towards her Professional Quantity Surveyors accreditation with SACQSP.

ACHIEVEMENT: Prof Rishidaw Balkaran, DVC: Academic, Marshall Sheldon, DVC: Research, Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, Dean’s Medallist Ray April and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Prof Penelope Engel-Hills. Ray obtained 18 distinctions with a final aggregate of 82 % over the three years of study towards the ND: Somatology.

Photos: Lauren Kansley

Written by Kwanele Butana
Email: butanak@cput.ac.za