BPharm Student Receives Malegapuru William Makgoba Scholarship

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‘I am both honoured and humbled to have received such a prestigious scholarship,’ said BPharm student Ms Lutfiyya Nazeer after receiving the Malegapuru William Makgoba Scholarship. 

The scholarship is awarded to the five top-ranked undergraduates proceeding from first-year to second-year of study in each of the four Colleges. The recipients are therefore the top students among several thousand colleagues in each College of the University. 

‘In life, there are certain moments and events that stand out in your mind and I can say with absolute certainty that receiving the scholarship was one of the most important ones. I am extremely blessed for my efforts to be recognised in such an esteemed manner,’ said Nazeer. 

Her family is extremely proud of her achievement. ‘They are also elated that my continuous hard work and dedication have reaped this benefit.’ She said making her parents proud was one of the simplest and best ways of repaying them for all they’ve done for her.

‘Being awarded this scholarship has been the greatest honour bestowed upon me, both as a student and as a 21st century woman. In a time where equality across gender, race and religion is becoming a basic human right, I am proud to be a part of an institution whose core values are as deeply woven into the fabric of enlightenment and empowerment as mine are,’ Nazeer said.

She plans to complete her BPharm degree summa cum laude and to serve her internship and community service before returning to UKZN to further her studies.

‘To the world this scholarship may just mean a financially discounted method of completing studies, but in reality it is so much more. It is belief and hope in my generation. It is love and care from our elders. It is the passing of the metaphorical torch to us, the youth of today to shoulder the responsibilities of tomorrow,’ said Nazeer.

Her formula for success in life is: ‘Work smart, not hard’. ‘It’s the execution of this formula that is difficult. Many students believe parroting 100 pages, 100 times will get them the result they desire. It’s more than that,’ said Nazeer.

‘It all lies in understanding. Working smart means listening in lectures, scribbling down key points, and consolidating this at the end of each day. Do this every day until exams start and you will notice how much smaller your workload is. Work smart.’

She thanked the scholarship funders, promising to honour the accolade by excelling in her academic career and inspiring others to do the same. 

Nombuso Dlamini