Paloma Quansah
eMdantsane born dietician who spent her early years of life at her grandparents' place in a village of eThembeni. Paloma is the found of JAQ Dieticians, a dietetics private practice that provides services that include weight control and diet for different disease.
How old were you when you decided to pursue your current career path and what inspired you?
I pursued my current career path after I realised that what I studied for after high school which was BSc in Genetics and Biochemistry was not aligned with my goals in life. I wanted a career that would allow me to have a family life balance. I could work independently or be employed.
Did you ever get help with career guidance? Any mentor(s) and what role did they play?
In my time unfortunately I didn’t have career guidance, to be honest I think not much was expected out of us, so no one cared to guide us to options to take. I read a lot of books when I was younger, and I was really inspired to explore the world. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for but I knew it was something I hadn’t seen before. That was my guide.
What challenges did you face (or are facing) / had to overcome in your journey?
I grew up very sheltered, so everything was a challenge to be honest. The world is a crazy place and dangerous place, but what saved me from all of that was my faith, and family, (they weren’t sure where I was going but they supported me). God protected and saved me a lot from dumb decisions I made along the way.
What has been your biggest driver/motivator?
Family, family is everything to me and I want to tell a different story too about my journey in this life. I stand on actions and stories my ancestors stood for and told and that has made my life better, I want my legacy to build on what they did for me.
What advice or key learning points from your journey would you like people to take onto theirs?
Have faith and believe for better. Learn to trust your gut as early as possible. Bad company corrupts. Always find people who know more than you do and learn from them. Be curious about life.
Any advice for a young person from a rural area / township who currently has no clue where to even start when choosing a career path?
The advice I can give is that it is important to interact with people and find out what your interests are. Research what career options are there. Do not be discouraged by affordability, look for financing opportunities and use the money for what you sourced it out for. The world is full of possibilities and there is enough for everyone. This means that you have a contribution to make in the economy and in life, we are waiting for your contribution.