Top achiever, Ms Ayesha Bibi Setar, graduated with her Bachelor of Business Science in Finance degree cum laude.
Apart from achieving 26 distinctions, eight certificates of merit and six Dean Commendations, Setar was also recognised as one of the Gradstar 2021 Top 100 Most Employable Students in South Africa. The award is based on leadership qualities and readiness for the workplace.
In an article published about this achievement on UKZN’s NdabaOnline last year, Setar mentioned that she aspired to join a global investment bank as an investment banker at the beginning of 2023.
‘Fast-forward to this year, my goal has been accomplished as I am currently working as an investment banker at one of the largest international investment banks in the world! This is only the beginning as I still have an exciting list of goals to execute. The real learning has just begun,’ she said.
Setar is a member of the prestigious Golden Key International Honour Society, as well as receiving an Investment Foundations Certificate from the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute. She added that pursuing this qualification has taught her a lot of self-discipline and given her insight into the finance industry.
‘This qualification tested my patience at times. It is definitely one of the most difficult degrees to pursue but also worth it in the end. Having to learn mathematics with no calculators allowed was a defining moment for many Business Science students. My advice to university students is that the best math you could ever learn is how to calculate the future cost of your current decisions.’
Words: Thandiwe Jumo
Photographs: Abhi Indrarajan