Consistent Action Produces Consistent Results, says UKZN Staffer

BY: .

‘When I graduated cum laude the first time, I made it a mission to continue at that level and achieve the same result for my postgraduate degree and I did.’

So says Mr Damien Kunjal, who received his Bachelor of Commerce (Business Finance) Honours degree cum laude, having completed his Bachelor of Commerce Degree cum laude, with majors in Finance and Management in 2017.

In first-year, Kunjal was registered as a BCom Accounting student, which was his initial choice from high school. After some time however, he realised it did not suit his personality and he switched to Business Finance.

‘After switching to finance, I realised that it is something that I enjoy and also something I’m good at. Also, the finance degree I did allowed me to branch into various fields of finance, such as investment banking, risk management, and corporate finance,’ he said.

Kunjal received a full bursary from Aspen Pharmacare - one of South Africa’s largest companies - which motivated him to work extra hard to achieve good academic results.

‘The journey was extremely demanding, especially with regards to time management,’ he said. ‘You have to be dedicated and learn how to manage your time efficiently, especially because there are so many tests and assignments with deadlines that are so close to each other. Nevertheless, the good thing about my experience of studying was that it has helped to develop my current character, grooming me into a smart, friendly, and energetic extrovert. The main reason for this was because I spent a lot of my time getting to know new people from diverse backgrounds, and also understanding their different backgrounds,’ he added.

Kunjal, currently the Academic Development Officer for Finance on the Westville campus, is completing his Master’s in Finance, which he also hopes to complete cum laude.

‘My long-term goal is to do my PhD and then enter the world of academia.’

Words: Lungile Ngubelanga 

Photograph: Rogan Ward