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Mumsy Boikanyo, a South African mother of three, graduated with a PhD from North-West University at the age of 43, capping a decades-long journey that took her from a failed matric exam to the front of a lecture hall.
After failing matric in 2002, Boikanyo spent roughly a year working as a security officer before moving into a teacher assistant role, where she supervised learners, supported classroom activities and helped run extracurricular programmes.
It was during her time guarding a university campus that the idea of returning to education began to take hold.
Frustrated Jobless Kisii Graduate Scatters His Academic Certificates on Streets
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Returning to the classroom carried its own weight.
The fear of sitting alongside pupils far younger than herself, combined with the memory of her earlier academic setback, made the prospect daunting.
Yet she pushed through, eventually earning the highest qualification in her field.
For Boikanyo, the achievement carries meaning that stretches well beyond a certificate.
Growing up without anyone in her family who had navigated higher education, let alone a doctorate, she had no roadmap to follow.
