In the Accounting academic field, a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting (PGDA) is known for being a difficult and demanding qualification.
Hence, for Ms Tayla Pearce and Ms Natasha Robinson, graduating with distinction in that bracket was a huge achievement.
The duo graduated with their Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting summa cum laude degrees last year.
For Pearce, pursuing a PGDA was not without its challenges as it gave her a first taste of academic failure which tested her resilience.
“I failed my first Auditing test, and it was my first experience with failure at university. I started to doubt whether I deserved to be in PGDA and whether I would even pass,” said Pearce. “But I reminded myself that if I had managed to get here, I was more than capable of seeing it through. Backing and trusting your capabilities is key. A few bad results won’t define you as a PGDA student, it’s how you pick yourself up after failure that sets you apart,” she said.
Pearce is currently at the start of her South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) articles journey at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and plans to keep challenging herself and growing.
Said Pearce: “In a difficult year like this one, it’s easy to get absorbed in the work and sacrifice too much. The support from my loved ones made the hard work a bit easier. I must also express my gratitude towards PricewaterhouseCoopers and UKZN. Without the investment they made in me, being a two-time graduate would have remained a dream rather than the reality it is today.”
For Robinson, maintaining a positive mindset and having a great support system is what turned studying for a PGDA into an opportunity for growth rather than just a hurdle to overcome.
“I managed to obtain the results that I did in PGDA due to the support systems I had, which kept me grounded and motivated,” said Robinson. “My family played a huge role in keeping me positive when the workload felt overwhelming, and my strong friend group shared the same drive to succeed which made the journey feel less isolating,” said Robinson.
With a bright future ahead, Robinson is growing her career as a trainee at EY where she is constantly growing her skills and experiencing the working world.
Said Robinson: “It’s been an exciting transition from academia to practice, and now my focus is on figuring out which areas truly spark my interest. The next step is to explore the different opportunities around me and discover which career path is calling my name.”
Words: Thandiwe Jumo
Photograph: Sethu Dlamini