“Where you come from does not define who you are or where you are heading in life”.
This is the message from graduate, Nadeem Isaacs who has passed his Bachelor of Science degree in Diagnostic Radiography cum laude, earning 20 distinctions. He is the first in his family to earn a Bachelor’s degree.
“I come from a small area on the Cape Flats called Lotus River, which is well known for drugs and gangsterism. The thought of obtaining a university degree is so far-fetched that the youth forget to have dreams of reaching their goals.”
Isaacs was raised by his mother and grandmother and said he had no father figure in his life.
“They [his mother and grandmother] worked tirelessly in order to give me everything that I ever needed and wanted,” he said.
“My biggest inspiration is my grandmother who raised seven children, with one being disabled, as a single parent. She is the strongest woman I know and was always my biggest motivator and supporter. She is the reason that I became who I am today.”
Isaacs attended Buck Road Primary School and Zeekoevlei High School and always brought home excellent report cards.
“I did very well academically and in Grade 10, I was scouted by the principal of the Cape Academy for Mathematics, Science and Technology and was offered a scholarship to attend the school.”
He said his lecturers played a huge in his success as a university student.
“I can honestly say that I had the best lecturers ever. At varsity level, most lecturers are not truly invested in the students and most of the time only know the students by number and not by name. In the case of my lecturers, they knew every student by name, surname and discipline. They were highly invested in the success and growth of the students.”
Isaacs always knew that he wanted to work in the medical field. He heard about Radiography from a friend.
“It amazes me to be able to see exactly what is happening on the inside of the human body and also to be the first one to diagnose a broken bone or see a pathology. Radiography has many departments and each one is more interesting in a way than the other. As a Radiographer, you can never say that you have seen it all. Every day you see something that you have never seen before or ever thought you would see. “
He was over the moon when he received his results and realised that he had passed cum laude.
“In order for me to have stayed focused throughout my schooling career and tertiary studies, I had to keep my eyes on the prize and I knew exactly where I wanted to see myself in the future. I faced many challenges and hardships throughout my studies and schooling career but I had to persevere and push through because I knew I had to break generational curses and make history in my family. “
He is currently doing his community service at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital in Gauteng.
Written by Ilse Fredericks
Email: