Patience pays off as ex-cashier obtains her science degree

Hard work and dedication has paid off for Puseletso Mqomo – a former cashier at a Bloemfontein petrol station – after she obtained her BSc degree in microbiology and genetics the University of the Free State (UFS).

Mqomo, 26, who worked at a filling station at Northridge mall in Bloemfontein, said it took her seven years to complete her degree as she was faced with financial hardships.

“In these seven years I failed my modules and had a baby but I had one goal in mind – to achieve my dream of completing my studies. After the passing of my father in 2011, my mother had to look after us. She got a job at an Engen garage in Bloemfontein. In 2014, I enrolled at UFS and I was lucky to be accepted for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

"However, in 2016 I had to take a gap year as NSFAS said my points were not enough for me to qualify for funding. I needed R6,000 for registration and my mother could not afford it. She spoke to the owner of the garage who was generous enough to offer me a job,” Mqomo said.

Mqomo said she had to give up the life of parties and fancy clothes as her focus was on saving money for her education.

“In the same year I fell pregnant but that did not deter me and my dreams. That year I managed to raise R16,000 which was not much considering that my fees were about R64,000 per annum. I was also very lucky that when I went back to UFS, I was accepted for NSFAS again. So, I used to work night shifts on weekends. On Mondays I would leave work at 6am and rush to school,” she said.

Mqomo said giving up was not an option as she was no longer thinking just about herself, but her baby too.

“I will forever be grateful for the love and support I received from my colleagues and owners of the petrol station. It was a sad moment when I had to return my uniform last week as they had become part of my life,” she said.

She said she recently started her practicals at Ikaelelo Senior Secondary School in Bloemfontein.

“I am still going to pursue my studies further because I believe that only the stars are the limit. In life I have learnt that failure is not the end of the world. My focus now is to do my honours and masters in microbiology.”