Gradstar

“When I saw my name appear on my laptop screen, I frozewith excitement. Words could never express how honoured I was in that moment.I believe that GradStar is important as it gives students the platform to be challenged and to explore their strengths and weaknesses. I realised the value of GradStar once I entered the workplace as it has moulded my approaches to problem solving and decision-making.”

“It was one of the most exciting and empowering experiences in my varsity career. To be chosen out of thousands of students and to represent my university on such a prestigious platform was truly an honour. Programmes like GradStar provide students with the opportunity to learn from and be inspired by one another, aswell as to gain exposure while building their networks. These connections help immensely when seeking employment and/or when working on projects and initiatives now and in the future. The activities that are part of the programme also encourage students to think critically and creatively, as well as to reflect deeply, both on their own and while engaging with others, all of which are critical skills needed to succeed in life. There is no doubt that GradStar has opened doors for me; all the employers I had interviewed with were impressed, as I have solid evidence of my capabilities as well as my potential. I am also grateful for the connections I have made through the programme and hope to leverage them to open doors in the future for other students as well.”

“Winning the Ten of the Finest Award was a surreal affirmation of my abilities and hard work. In a year that was difficult in many ways, we got to interact with top employers and amazing students to work on skills around employability and personal development. Given the gravity of this opportunity, it is truly an honour. Awards such as these are so important because workplace readiness is not given much emphasis during university. Where it is, it is peripheral or an add-on, which is bizarre given the emphasis on getting work after university. The opportunity doesn’t only benefit the students or the companies participating, but sends the message that work readiness is a necessary element of a student’s development. The GradStar experience, from the application to the workshops with employers, was an introspective learning experience. It prompted me to think deeper about my university experiences, and the skills I had developed in relation to presenting myself and using these skills in the workplace. I’m truly grateful for that.”

“Being mentioned as one of GradStar’s Top 10 of the Finest was an answered prayer for me as it added to my academic achievements and accolades. Programmes like GradStar are important in that they afford students with opportunities to connect with some of South Africa’s top employers through the GradStar workshops. The amazing companies offered valuable tips and insight on how to be marketable to employers and how to stand out in the job market. They offered constructive, interactive engagements and brilliant activities for teamwork. It has also been an absolute honour working with some of South Africa’s bright minds from different institutions and learning from them. GradStar offered me a golden opportunity to find out more about qualities that make me employable and skills that I possess which will make me successful in the workplace, and that is the reason I am a Graduate trainee in a top financial institution in the country. I believe that GradStar assisted me greatly with preparing me for interviews and cementing my place in the work environment.”

“It still feels surreal to get this kind of an accolade. Not only is it an immense honour to be a part of the programme, but it is also equally as humbling, and I will remain eternally grateful for this opportunity. We are often told as graduates that one of the keys to your success is your ability to network with your future employer. A programme like GradStar bridges this gap and affords graduates an opportunity to interact with their future employers, where both the employer and the graduate can determine how they can mutually benefit from each other. Moreover, graduates are also given the opportunity to network with other graduates who, at one point or the other, will become colleagues, and building these relationships is incredibly important. Being recognised as part of the Top 10 GradStars also gave me the confidence to step boldly into the corporate world, knowing that I was capable of adding value wherever I would go.”

“Making the Top 100 was just enough for me, I couldn’t believe it! I was still appreciating that fact when the announcement came out and I was one of the 10 of the Finest for 2020. Everything leading to that moment was worth it. The GradStar programme is important because it is an opportunity to identify and nurture graduates into rising star leaders who are set to play an important role in shaping the future of our country and the world. Through GradStar I was able to form and expand my network and relationships. And it is through this platform that I started to appreciate and invest in the extraordinary potential that I have and was recognised for it.”

“GradStar 2020 was a once in a lifetime opportunity to interact with some of the most significant companies of our time. Despite being virtual, it was extremely interactive and the organisers were attentive to the needs of the students who were taking part during trying times. My favourite part of the experience was the fact that I was able to synergise with likeminded students who were passionate and optimistic, even during a time when the South African economy was taking a major knock. The presentations and one-on-one conversations with industry experts were all opportunities to improve myself as a candidate when applying for jobs. It also endowed me with a well-informed view of what it takes to excel in a high calibre work environment. Ranking in the Top 10 was an honour, given how excellent the student talent was. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything!”

“Your mind is your first enemy, if you challenge it, you can challenge others”. GradStar Awards should not be words that look well printed in calligraphy and hung on the wall in a fancy gold frame. Your prize should state your purpose, it should reflect the effective change you want to bring to your society. As a leader of the youth community, I have a lot of goals and plans. These goals are improvement of youth wellbeing, involvement of young people into social life, finding and promotion of young leaders. It’s very important to me. Being announced as one of the Top 10 GradStars was really a testimony to all my efforts; as this will inspire the youth irrespective of their backgrounds that effort does pay off, as this will open more doors for myself and contribute to my professional growth. What a wonderful experience! I will definitely encourage my fellow students to participate next year. It was well organised, under unfavourable pandemic conditions, but everything went incredibly smoothly. I liked that we were given the chance to talk and socialise with the employers on a more personal level. It enabled me to have a deeper sense of the companies as well as their corporate cultures. I am honoured to be part of the Top 10 and I am grateful to all the organisers and judges. And a special thanks to Absa, Fasken, BP, Accenture, Epiroc, BAT and Golden Key for this amazing opportunity. Ndiyabulela!"

“Being named one of the Top 10 for GradStar 2020 was a surreal and incredible experience. Not only did I discover and recognise so much about myself and my own capabilities, but it was such an honour to be named among nine other unique and inspiring GradStars. I was truly grateful to have been recognised for such an incredible achievement, as is the Top 10 of the Finest, and I am proud to have been the only representative from the University of Pretoria. The GradStar programme not only provides incredible career opportunities in so many different professional sectors for students throughout the country, but it also exposes the GradStars to amazing people, not only in the different sponsor firms of the programme, but also in the mentors, innovative speakers and the like minded GradStar students who you get to take this brilliant journey with. The programme is able to teach you valuable skills and offers you experience in the workplace in an easy and encouraging environment, which emphasises your strengths and encourages you to constructively work on your weaknesses. The GradStar programme highlights the importance of teamwork and inspires you to ask for help in order for everyone to move forward together. I found that the lessons I experienced throughout my own GradStar journey are ones that will not only be relevant for my future professional career but will also continue to help me grow in my own personal capacity. My GradStar journey was one that was unique and incredibly rich with knowledge and opportunity. The best outcome from my experience was that I was signed by the incredible leading law firm, Fasken. Not only did the programme change my professional career as an aspiring corporate lawyer, but the inspiration I felt from the innovative speakers throughout the programme, the life lessons gained from the different levels of the programme and witnessing such amazing leaders in action in my fellow GradStars truly has laid a firm foundation for me to continue to better myself wherever possible.”

“It was an honour knowing that the efforts of those who have supported me were being recognised. It made me feel like we are moving close to the vision of enabling a better education system for Africa because it all starts with aiming to be a top and successful graduate in my environment. It takes being willing to help others and to receive, consistency, discipline, and denying oneself self gratification in order to achieve a goal, and this felt like it was for the community that surrounded and walked with me, more than for my own self. Awards such as these are important in ensuring that skills are connected to employers. They are important in inspiring younger people to dream bigger and to be consistent and disciplined in their efforts because that is what it takes to be recognised as a Top 10 graduate. It is also important in inspiring individuals who are already inspired to not lose or drop in inspiration and as much as I am not one for doing things for accolades, they do serve as an external motivation in most unexpected circumstances. GradStar has connected me to a group of individuals that are also inspired to do more with the lives they have been gifted with. It connected me with employers that shared with us skills and resources that are still helpful to me to this day. The workshops we had helped us to understand ourselves even more than we did before we participated in them, and were a great opportunity to grow and see oneself in a mirror.”