Work in progress

 *I am a work in progress*

Start small, create from scratch.

Do everything with grace.

Celebrate your small wins.

Pour more into yourself.

Undergraduate

* Work at the library as a student assistant

* Work at the computer lab as a student assistant

* Participated during registration-student assistant.

* Participated during  Open day

*Fasset tutor

* IIASA student member, attended discussion forums etc.

*Holiday part-time job (Laundry)

Postgraduate

*Attended Sarterdays research workshops and events

*Research proposal tutor

*Research Conference

*Research presentations

*Research paper publication

*Conference paper publication

*ERSA online discussion forums on economic development, diversity etc.

*Conference research paper reviewer

*Recently joined ABASA as a student member

*Attending IIASA events

Believe in yourself because your dreams are valid

 Masters of Internal Auditing ❤️👩🏽‍🎓#From the village to google scholar Queen 👸🏽 #Your dreams are valid.

My Thesis Book

 My Thesis book is literally becoming my best friend, It is always beside me or in my laptop bag. I never get bored when it is around. I use it sometimes to create academic content, reflect on my Master's degree journey, Thesis chapters and identify what I could do better for my PhD degree. 

Reflecting on My Masters Degree Journey

Last year (2021) I decided that I will spend the whole of 2022 celebrating my Master's degree achievement and reflecting on my Journey. My Thesis journey was a hell of a ride but I am thankful that I can look back on my journey and be proud that I fought a good fight.

I remember the first few months when I just started with my Master's degree, it was so difficult, I faced so many challenges and I felt discouraged. I was all over the place, venting to everyone close to me.

One morning, I got up and decided to write down my own affirmation based on how I felt and the challenges I was facing. They made a really big shift in my life. Research is not difficult but the challenges we face in the journey really make us question ourselves, is this even worth it? you fight people, you fight the system, fight your own thoughts, fight mental illness due to stress and challenges but I praise God that he helped me and fought for me in all those challenges.

Here is the extract of the affirmation I wrote for myself:

I can write and complete my research proposal

I can get my research proposal approved by the institution's research committee

I can get an ethical certificate

I can finish my Thesis chapters

I can gather research data and analyse it

I can pass my research thesis examination

I can graduate with my Master's degree

I will hold my Master's degree certificate with my own hands

I will hold my Thesis book with my own hold

God will fight for me, for things that are beyond my control and above my powers.

DEAR MATRICULANT: THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA (MATRIC ASSIGMENT #2)

#Connect

What did I do and still doing even today?

I use social media to connect and interact with my role models or influencers. 

Follow your role models on social media. 

You can develop a professional relationship with them, not forgetting to respect them and also to be respected, don't compromise respect.

 Learn from them. 

Study their ways of doing things, learn from them.

 Your timeline should be full of inspiration and motivation, it should be your source of inspiration, not distraction. 

Give yourself time to search for role models or positive people to follow on social media, keep in mind that your social media should be your source of inspiration and motivation. 

Be mindful of who you add to your follower's list.

Written by Lisa Nqala

FIGHT A GOOD FIGHT, FIGHT FOR YOUR DREAMS

 FIRST PICTURE AT VARSITY

I only had a matric certificate and a university acceptance letter under my name.
I was extremely shy and had low self-esteem.
I had a vision for my life.
I knew what I wanted.
I was willing to fight for it.
I was willing to be patient when I did not see progress.
I was willing to learn from my mistakes.

SECOND PICTURE, MASTERS GRADUATION(Same pose)
I have obtained:
NHC: Certificate in Accountancy,
National Diploma in Internal Auditing,
BTech in Internal Auditing,
Masters of Internal Auditing,
Two publications (research papers),
My name is on google scholar,
My name is on the university repository,
Three (3) research conference presentations and two certificates,
Accounting and auditing work experience,
Tutoring experience,
Lecturing experience.
I hope this motivates and inspire someone.
We have the power to change our situations.
#hardwork #dedication #go getta#fight for your dreams

DEAR TEENS -I CHOSE MYSELF : I COMPLETED MASTERS OF INTERNAL AUDITING

Masters degree in Internal Auditing📚👩🏽‍🎓😊My Journey to Masters degree in Internal Auditing.

After Matric, I worked at the laundry as a laundry assistant and as a domestic worker for the laundry owners in Margate, KZN. It was hard and I felt hopeless, watching my peers going to varsity. I was surrounded by negativity and I was discouraged, I felt like my life was a joke. I used the money that I got from my job to phone the universities and request application forms and send them back to the universities.
Got accepted at CPUT for NHC: Accountancy and that was the biggest turnaround #opportunity to change my life for the better. I prayed to God for school (University) every day from the day I left high school. When I got an acceptance letter from CPUT I just did not know what to do, I was so emotional and thankful to God. Education was my silent prayer even when I was just walking to the shop or to home or church I would ask God to give me chance to go to varsity in order for me to change my life and rebuild my dignity.

Going to varsity was not just anything for me, it was everything that is the reason why I never wasted time or took the opportunity for granted. I wanted to make myself and God proud. I got accepted by three institutions, two for education and one for accounting so I decided to go with CPUT because I love accounting and auditing, I have always wanted to be an Auditor. Although I was advised to choose education (teachers course) because they think it’s easy to finish and to get a job once you graduated, and also because of my background, people feared that I would not survive if I choose accounting and auditing because I could not speak English properly.
From primary school till high school, English was our second language, and in rural areas, we were taught in Xhosa even English. Even in class when you ask a question, you ask it in Xhosa and the Teacher would respond in Xhosa, so at varsity, it was going to be hard for me to adapt. That was the risk I was willing to take. Most people did not believe that I would survive at the varsity and in a big city.
I was also surrounded by negative people, telling me that there are many people in my village who studied the Auditing course but could not get an Auditing job and ended up working as admin clerk, and why am I doing a course that won’t get me a job? That also puts more pressure on me.

Another struggle was that my classmates were two years younger than me, I was old so I struggle to find friends that were in my age. My peers were doing their third year already because after matric they went straight to varsity. I just decided to accept that my life is different and it’s my story and it does not have to be the same as other people, and after that, I owned my story, I found peace and I focused on the reason why I was there. I lost my mother when I was only seven years only, I had to make her proud and her spirit is at ease🥰 #Masters of Internal Auditing #Gogetta 📚. Written by Lisa Nqala

My journey to the 30th Birthday - Trauma after Trauma (Part 1)

I was raised by my grandmother while my mother was working at Spur and studying part-time. I came from a disadvantage background, poverty and limited resources. I lost my mother when I was only seven years old in 1997.  In 1998 I lost my grandmother. At that time death was not as popular as today. I was lost and hopeless. It was trauma after trauma. My cousin Ncumisa came to stay with me and my aunty in 1998. I got a new friend, we were like twins. I also become too close to my father who was also staying in Durban. He would travel from Durban to Bizana after a week or three weeks or a month to come see me after my mother and grandmother passed away.

 In 2008 I went through the trauma again when my father got sick and pass away, and that time I just completed my matric and looking for a school to study further. I officially become an orphan. I was completely broken again and feeling hopeless. It was too dark in my life I could not understand what was going on. 

 In 2016 when I just applied for my Master’s degree in internal Auditing at Cput. My cousin Ncumisa got sick. I begged her to fight and not allow what I went through to happen again. I trusted God that He would heal her. I was the one who was telling my family members that she would get better. I really believed that she would get better, until on a Friday afternoon when I got a phone call from home and was told that she passed away. I was in my room at rez (student residence) just got back from work.

I hit a rock bottom. I went home for her funeral and when I came back I was not myself. I was completely broken again, I could not put myself together. I lost weight, I lost faith in God. I couldn't even pray, every time I tried to pray I would break down and cry, I just did not know what to say to God. I was sad, disappointed and lost hope in God. Nothing was going well. I then decided to resign at work, I pause my research, at that time I was still busy with my research proposal, I could not focus because I was not myself. I packed my bags and went home in November and came back in January 2017 to start over. What I have learned that time was that you can die inside in front of everyone and not even one person could notice. When I came back from home I started over, got a new job and continued with my thesis and became optimistic again but I lost trust in the lord. My relationship with God lack faith and it was so bad and it broke me. I could pray but in my prayer faith was lacking.

Written by Lisa Nqala

My journey to the 30th Birthday (Part 2)

Got accepted at CPUT.

The letter that changed everything.

After Matric, I worked at the laundry as a laundry assistant and as a domestic worker in Margate, KZN. It was hard and I felt hopeless, watching my peers going to varsity. I was surrounded by negativity and discouraged, I felt like my life was a joke.  I used the money that I got from my job to phone the universities and request for application forms and to send them back to the universities.

Got accepted at CPUT for NHC: Accountancy and that was the biggest turnaround of my life. I prayed to God for school (University) every day from the day I left high school. When I got an acceptance letter from CPUT I just did not know what to do, I was so emotional and thankful to God. Education was my silent prayer even when I was just walking to the shop or to home or church I would ask God to give me chance to go to varsity in order for me to change my life and rebuild my dignity. 

Going to varsity was not just anything for me, it was everything that is the reason why I never wasted time or took the opportunity for granted. I wanted to make myself and God proud. I got accepted by three institutions, two for education and one for accounting so I decided to go with CPUT because I love accounting and auditing, I have always wanted to be an Auditor. Although I was advised to choose education (teachers course) because it’s easy to finish and to get a job once you finish. And also because of my background, people feared that I would not survive if I choose accounting and auditing because I could not speak English properly. 

From primary school till high school, English was our second language, and in rural areas, we were taught in Xhosa even English.  Even in class when you ask a question, you ask it in Xhosa and the Teacher would respond in Xhosa, so at varsity, it was going to be hard for me to adapt. That was the risk I was willing to take. Most people did not believe that I would survive at the varsity and in a big city.  

I was also surrounded by negativity people, telling me that many people in my village who did Auditing course but could not get an Auditing job and end up working as admin clerk, and why am I doing a course that won’t get me a job? That also put pressure on me. 

Another struggle was that my classmates were two years younger than me, I was old so I struggle to find friends that were in my age. My peers were doing their third years already because after matric they went straight to varsity. I just decided to accept that my life is different and it’s my story and it does not have to be the same as other people, and after that, I owned my story, I found peace and I focus on the reason why I was there.

Written by Lisa Nqala

My journey to the 30th Birthday (Part 3)

Certificate of Service as the student assistant at the computer lab 2013.

In 2012 I was so concerned about my shyness. I was so shy and insecure because of where I come from and my previous experience and body shaming I had to go through during my junior and high school years.

 I decided to apply for a part-time job at the Computer lab as a student assistant on campus. I submitted my curriculum vitae and they phone me and ask for my time table I submitted it and I got the job. I was so excited and scared. I was excited that I finally took an action about my problem and that I got a job, I would get an extra income and at the same time, I was not sure what I was getting myself into. Bear in mind that I was extremely shy plus I am from rural areas and cannot communicate properly in English. But I had to face my fear and I hate limiting myself. 

I am a firm believer that they will never be a perfect time for anything because the word perfect does not really exist in real life. At the computer lab, I had to stand in front of the students and walk around the lab attending to students query and make sure that the students adhere to the rules and regulations of the lab. On the first day, I did well and was excited about the next day and the students I was working with were so helpful and that made things so easy and exciting for me. After that I became a new person, I became better and more confident in my own skin. I was awarded a certificate of service. I was so happy, proud and inspired by myself.

Written by Lisa Nqala

My journey to the 30th Birthday (Part 4)

First Graduation 2014

Graduated for Diploma in Internal Auditing

In 2014 I graduated for my Diploma in internal Auditing, I felt like I have proved to myself, the people who doubted me and others that I could do it.  I remember when I started at varsity, I promised myself that I would not date or be in a real relationship until I graduate. I did not want any complications. I did not want to disappoint myself and people who believed in me. I did not want anything to go wrong. It was my first graduation, I was so proud of myself. I made my mother and my family proud. People could celebrate me now in my village not to feel sorry for me because of my early childhood trauma. I was so inspired by myself, I wanted more so I applied for BTech in Internal Auditing.

Written by Lisa Nqala