“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is an age-old question that children are asked as soon as they are old enough to imagine their futures. Their responses are sometimes based on their immediate surroundings, what they have been privy to, and just an interest in careers that have piqued their very young minds. A question frequently asked, it rests in the subconscious for many years as their lives continue to develop. For some it may lead to an existential crisis, changing their minds several times along the way. Others may have remained resolute about their career journeys. Be that as it may, both types of children grow into adults who are confronted by various obstacles that inhibit them from attaining their dream careers.
Given South Africa’s challenges within the higher education sector, access to postgraduate qualifications due to financial limitations remains an ongoing battle for both institutions and students alike. On the other end of the spectrum, there is a need for more academics to be cultivated so that the academic programme may continue to produce scholars not only to be retained by the public higher education institutions, but to also have scholars develop and contribute towards their unique environments. As part of changing the narrative for the better, the Nurturing Emerging Scholars Programme (NESP)’s purpose is to provide holistic support for emerging scholars so that its scholars may obtain their postgraduate qualifications while creating a feeder into academia and other industries.
NESP encouraged me to focus more on my academic pursuits knowing that everything else that I would otherwise be worried about was covered.
As profoundly quoted by a NESP scholar, “The NESP is actively working in closing the knowledge production gaps in higher education in South Africa through nurturing emerging scholars.”
Part of the success of a programme of this magnitude is frequent engagement with its community. In this instance, the scholars shared their reflections on their experiences and how the NESP has enabled them to explore and dream. “I am currently involved in the NECT National pilot research project and co-lecturing in the foundation phase department in the faculty of education. I am also presenting at both local and international conferences on work based on my study. These are opportunities that have come because I am a NESP scholar.”
The above are the words from one of the NESP scholars whose career pursuit was to be an academic lecturer and researcher. Reflecting further on the NESP’s impact on their journey they said, “It has helped support my academic journey financially and ensured that institutionally I have access to a network of academics and other staff who can assist when the journey gets hard. The support has seen me through days where I wanted to give up.”
At the core of the NESP is the impact and contributions it makes to the lives of its scholars.
There is an overarching sentiment that is shared by NESP scholars. “The NESP afforded me the opportunity to further my studies and pursue and advance a career in academia with less financial stress. I am also fortunate to have a mentor throughout my academic career because of the programme. Following completion of my Master’s degree, I will be able to pursue my Ph.D. through the programme.” Being part of this breakthrough programme has made it possible for scholars to become academics, researchers and teachers without the restlessness that is often accompanied by financial restrictions.
The NESP tells the tale of two different kinds of students: those whose lifelong dreams are on the cusp of being realised, and those who have realised new possibilities through the pursuit of postgraduate qualifications. This scholar speaks about always wanting to be a pioneer in their field. “It has been always a dream to pursue higher education degrees in the sense of conducting research in order to impact other people’s lives with necessary change and development. I now fully understand the scope of being in the academic vicinity to conduct research. The work that I am doing requires a lot of design simulations, which is a skill necessary in our era where 4IR is digitising the workforce. NESP has opened doors for me to be relevant to today’s world and to engage myself in a project that will change people’s lives for the better.”
A scholar on the NESP wanted to pursue a career in software development. They lament that the NESP has enabled them to achieve this to some extent. “The NESP has made it easy for me to further my studies, and also made it easy for me to develop in research, and also in teaching by exposing me to different training sessions and workshops, and by also meeting people who have different experiences in academics. Initially, I had little intention of becoming an academic, but through the NESP, I fell in love with academics and would like to make it my career.” Although they may have pivoted, there is some resolve. “I have grown to love and enjoy doing research and teaching due to the development opportunities that the NESP has offered and is continuing to offer, and I would very much love to continue being a researcher and a lecturer.”
While these stories are two sides of the same coin, they tell a simple story of what the NESP has achieved: enabling scholars to realise their individual dreams.
While the ease of the financial burden is immediately felt, some stories have shed light on the deeply personal impact. “Firstly, I appreciate that it paid my tuition fees which is beneficial for my mental health. Especially being a mother and a student I am able to focus more on my academics since knowing that there are no pending debts towards my academics. Because of the benefits of the scholarship especially the nGAP programme, there is a lot of pressure to work hard and produce excellent results to be able to enrol for a Ph.D. and still be funded by the NESP… I am from a home that had no hope but the scholarship makes me look like I am from a home of academics. I can simply say no words can express how I feel and what the scholarship means to me.” This scholar’s pursuits to become a midwife have gone beyond their own expectations as they are now completing their Masters in Health Sciences and are involved in ongoing workshops in their academic department.
“[I] had a positive impact my research work has been accepted at various conferences. I have also managed to present part of my research at a virtual conference held in Cape Town. I am hoping to pitch my research work at COGTA for funding in order to pilot the framework for the sustainable regeneration of small towns. The framework is the outcome of my research work.” To be part of the NESP has not only cultivated an opportunity to change one family, it has also become the gateway to potentially changing South Africa one small town at a time. A question that has lingered and envisioned for many years is well on the way to being actualised through this programme. Even though some childhood dreams were actualising while others discovered different dreams, they are firmly placed as the pride and success of the NESP. Simply put, the NESP scholars rest assured knowing that the quest of their inner children has been fulfilled.
