Miss Khumalo is a mathematics educator at Ponego Secondary School in the township of Katlehong, Gauteng. She is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society, also a Chief Operating Director at WeSolve4x, and doing her final year in Master of Business Administration (MBA).

She was born, raised and completed her basic education in the township of Katlehong. 

How old were you when you decided to pursue your current career path? 

I developed an interest in being a mathematics teacher at the age of 16 as how mathematics was and still is a challenge for majority of the learners in our schools. 

Did you ever get help with career guidance? Any mentor(s) & what role did they play?

My family and teachers play a major role. The main influence being my former grade 10 mathematics teacher (the late Mrs Phila), who was first and foremost an amazing teacher and a guardian. She made mathematics to some extent easy to grasp, fun and interesting to learn. My other mentor being my brother, a mathematics teacher (and HOD) himself.

What challenges did you face (or are facing) / had to overcome in your journey?

The only hurdle I can think of at the moment are the sleepless nights of studying during the first 4 years of university, getting low marks in my first and second years. Which I believe was caused by the transition from high school to university, it’s quite a jump.

What has been your biggest driver / motivator?

Firstly, the love and passion I have for teaching. Secondly, the desire to make an impact in the education system and give back to my community.

What advice or key learning points from your journey would you like people to take on to theirs?

Teaching is a tough job which needs your love, passion and hard work. They must make sure they love what they’re doing, must see the reason in doing it and check the influence (or impact) it has on others. By doing so, that will bring contentment and satisfaction in their job.

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?

Know what you love and enjoy doing. Knowing yourself and your core values, taking note of your interests and assessing your current skills. They should help guide you in identifying what is it that you want to do. Speak to relevant people and visit sectors where they practice what you’re interested in (job shadowing).

Do research on the careers you’re interested in and speak to people in those fields, we live in the times where technology makes things much easier. Very importantly, check the need and the job availability of your chosen career; as we’re living in an unfortunate and tough era of having unemployed graduates due to lack of job opportunities & skills desired by employers.