“I love working with people, I enjoy helping them to feel better and providing them with ways to take care of themselves,” says Palesa Motaung, somatology student at the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences. She is the recipient of the global Cidesco International and Babor Student Scholarship Programme.

Cidesco International, the popular beauty and education association, partnered with Babor, the German luxury skincare company to offer this scholarship. Students at accredited Cidesco institutions in selected countries, including the United States and South Africa, could apply. “I feel blessed above all else,” Palesa says about this exceptional achievement. “When I think about the financial challenges that I have faced since my first year and the sacrifices that my parents made, being able to tell them about the scholarship was a moment I will always carry with me.”

The journey to Somatology

After school, Palesa took a gap year before enrolling for a course in primary healthcare at a local college. “Into my second year, I realised that I was not passionate about the programme, and that working with patients in palliative care was truly emotionally straining. I started researching a career that would allow me to work with people and health but in a different way. At the end of my third year, I applied for Somatology and got accepted. Somatology allows me to help people without putting my emotional health at risk. It is not about changing an individual but about working on what is already there and improving on it.”

Palesa looks to Dr Gloria Tshukudu, South Africa’s first black women to qualify as a plastic surgeon, for inspiration. “She shows me that just because it is hard to reach, does not mean that it is impossible. Some people have laughed at my big dreams or how far-fetched they sound, but she makes me believe in myself and the power that wants to change your community has.” Palesa dreams about gaining experience on a cruise ship for a few years after she graduates, before opening her spa to share her knowledge with her community.

Remember your sunscreen

“I cannot say that enough! Sunscreen is the one thing that every person should apply to their skin every day.” Her beauty secret is water. “It is truly a miracle worker, and I also use avocado oil with any product that contains hyaluronic acid.” Palesa’s go-to snack is green apple slices with peanut butter spread. “And I love fries with ice cream… it tastes better than it sounds!” To relax, she opts for candlelight and good music.

Palesa is a somatologist at heart who loves watching the change a treatment brings to clients. “Not just physically, but also emotionally.” Although it may become challenging to complete all the practical and theoretical outcomes of the programme, good time management sees her through. “I love everything about the course. The key is to revise all the work covered in class on the same day.”