Help Me Graduate. Johanna Thathaisa.

Winston Churchill once said, “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” And while I never define my obstacles as ‘failures.

My name is Johanna Thathaisa, I'm a 26 years old African young female professional, with a degree in information technology and and a MBA candidate at the Gordon Institute of Business

❛ In the near future, I'd love to see myself running a successful property business which will hire local people in the community to empower them with employment and help in the fight against poverty. I'd love to also open an art center for the youth, which will help connect the youth with potential investors and employers and also teach them basic business skills ❜.⁠

An MBA offers me the platform to learn business fundamentals such as leadership, communication, and critical thinking and analytical skills. On top of the business skills I will be gaining from the MBA, it also helps in building my business professional network, which will help in gaining investors and possible business partners.

I mark my success by my repeated perseverance through adversity. I have faced several challenges over the years, from growing up without both my parents to learning how to be independent and stand for myself together with those around me from a tender age; yet I continued to earn exemplary grades and graduate at the top of my class.

I began my MBA journey with the hope of attaining a bursary to fund my studies but sadly due to the pandemic the bursary withdraw from funding me and I was left to bear the cost of R317 000.

The MBA is more than just another qualification or a stepping stone to advance my career but it's hope for a better tomorrow for my family and my community at large. The MBA will help open doors which will help me establish my NPO; impulse, which is aimed at getting the youth out of the streets and providing mentorship and support for them to become further leaders.

With the help of this community, I can complete my education and continue to solve problems within my community an

d immediate reality. With the high demand for a postgraduate certificate in the corporate world, this MBA will broaden the scope of my competence and also cement the course of making the playground even for all of us.

For many prospective MBAs, the cost of attendance is a big obstacle in realising their dreams of attending business school. While crowdfunding is not a new idea, I hope this post has as a help to Johanna looking to pursue her higher studies - within South Africa in this case.

All funds raised will be paid directly to the relevant institution. You can support Johanna in the following link.

https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/johanna-thathaisa

Pic by Johanna Thathaisa

Written by @munllonch