Theshaya Naidoo, Cum Laude graduate. Image via Twitter @IOL
Theshaya Naidoo went from a 16% in math to graduating with Cum Laude
‘If there is a will, there is a way.’ Theshaya Naidoo, a 22-year-old Pietermaritzburg resident, is a living example of this proverb.
Theshaya Naidoo, Cum Laude graduate. Image via Twitter @IOL
On her journey to earning two degrees with cum laude, Theshaya Naidoo had to overcome her perfectionistic family, bullying, colourism, and a 16 percent math grade in matric.
Theshaya Naidoo also works part-time as a social media content developer; she has over 75,000 followers on various platforms. She mostly concentrates on financial, productivity, and educational topics. Naidoo claimed that in a family of thinkers, mediocrity was never accepted.
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Theshaya Naidoo said that they were constantly urged to push themselves to their limits and to keep becoming better.
Although it might have been difficult at times, she claimed that it had taught her to always aspire higher and to never settle for anything less than what she is capable of.
The graduate attributes this way of thinking to help her grow both personally and professionally since it inspired her to pursue her objectives with zeal and tenacity.
The accomplished student went to Raisethorpe Secondary School, where she said she endured constant bullying because of her dark skin colour.
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In spite of these difficulties, Naidoo made an effort to enjoy high school. Through involvement in extracurricular activities, she sought this.
She did, however, add that it was challenging to be completely engaged because of the ongoing abuse and marginalisation. Therefore, she was not shocked by her graduation grade of 16% in 2017.
Theshaya was so certain that she had not passed the bachelor’s level that she had mentally prepared herself in advance to take a high certificate in legal studies as a prerequisite for a Bachelor of Laws degree.
She recalled, however, that her father had called to shock her by telling her that she had actually earned a bachelor’s pass.
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Theshaya Naidoo had to reconsider her professional goals instead of redoing Maths because the event had left her feeling quite depressed and anxious.
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On a roll, Theshaya added a Bachelor of Laws to her first degree and received another cum laude. The graduate sacrificed everything and went to great lengths to achieve her dream.
Theshaya Naidoo slept barely four hours, studied at the library in between courses, and survived on energy drinks. To avoid engaging in chats with other students and “spending time,” Theshaya Naidoo even strolled around campus wearing earbuds.
