AS THE INSTITUTE FOR INTERNAL AUDITORS’ 2022 EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR, LETHIWE NZAMA BELIEVES OUR FUTURE IS GUIDED BY CARING FOR THE YOUNG GENERATION. Lethiwe Nzama shines as 2022 Educator of the Year
Dedication and persistence have made Lethiwe Nzama one of the best in her field. Respected and beloved by her students, she was recognised as the 2022 Educator of the Year by the Institute for Internal Auditors. Despite her success, Lethiwe, a senior lecturer in the Department of Commercial Accounting at UJ, says the most important life lesson she learned is to remain humble and true to herself no matter what. “I grew up disadvantaged but with loving parents who are my strongest supporters, first important role models, heroes, and cheerleaders,” she says. Lethiwe is married and the mother of a seven-year-old boy and two-year-old twins – a boy and a girl. Her family is an important support structure for her as they keep her grounded. UJ played a massive role in her life. Once enrolled, she saw an entirely new world revealed.
“As a youngster, one gets confused about identity, what you stand for, and who you are. But at UJ, I met people from different backgrounds and learned about diversity. “I realised that I had a space, I had a voice, and I could speak my mind. Before that, I would shy away, but I recognised the value this realisation added to my life as a student. If you are told you have a right to speak up, that’s truly empowering.” She says UJ is a place of ideas, innovation, and research. “There is no limitation if you know what you want to achieve. The slogan ‘Reimagine Your Future’ rings true. The university allows you to do just that – to be whomever you want.” After completing her first qualification, she held positions ranging from a financial administrator, accountant and internal auditor for nine years in various organisations, including UJ where she worked as an accountant
between 2008 to 2013. While working, she continued her studies part time. She re-joined UJ in 2015 as a lecturer and was promoted to senior lecturer in 2022. As a lecturer, Lethiwe keenly remembers her early feelings of being like a fish out of water and the comfort teachers, fellow students, and academic achievements can bring to a young student. Today, she works towards empowering and giving back to others, especially struggling students. She says that teaching is her opportunity to impact students and society. It hasn’t come without the lessons she learned before the classes she teaches. “I have learned to be patient because some students will test your patience. I have developed a solid backbone and learned to be strong, assertive, and not naive.” “I enjoy adding value by teaching
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