This week we celebrate the journey of two amazing Central University of Technology employees, Prof. Tshepiso Jan Makhafola and Ms Tamsin van Aswegen.

Prof. Tshepiso Jan Makhafola joined CUT as a Senior Lecturer in 2019. Since then, he has been nominated and selected to be part of the first cohort of the DHET's Future Professors Program. He was appointed as Director: Centre for Quality of Health and Living (CQHL), Assistant Dean: Research Innovation and Engagement in the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, and was later promoted to Associate Professor (July 2021). In August 2021, he was appointed as an extraordinary lecturer at the University of Pretoria's Pan African Cancer Research Institute.

He said that his decision to work for CUT was based on the research he made on the institution, he could already tell that it was the type of environment where he would thrive.

"I am excited to be part of a university that provides the kind of stimulating learning environment that generates innovation and personal development. Based on the university's values, mission, and vision, it is indeed one of the foremost higher education institutions. The last 2 years at CUT have been nothing but exciting and gratifying with great academic growth and prospects. I chose to become a lecturer because shaping young minds is an incredibly rewarding job. The opportunity to impact the lives of students is rewarding. Teaching and research are my passions, and nothing is more fulfilling like seeing your student enjoying the subject and understanding its principles. It is also one of the few career choices where the sky is indeed the limit; career progression is entirely in your hands; you can pace your growth and determine how far you want to or are willing to go."

He further indicated that as challenging as it is, "being able to understand how to provide support has been the most pleasant and eye-opening part of my position. I like to interact with the research space outside of the ordinary laboratory setting, getting to work with researchers towards the common goal, creating new knowledge and advancing research is equally pleasurable."

Asked about his research work, he said that his research focuses on investigating natural products (in this case- plant extracts and phytocompounds) for their ability in delaying different carcinogenic processes, including suppression, reduction, or inversion of carcinogenesis with the main aim of discovering lead compounds that can be developed as cancer chemoprevention and cancer chemotherapeutic agents.

"In part, this includes testing plant extracts for genotoxicity and DNA protective effects, followed by isolation and characterization of compounds responsible for the activity and confirmatory experiments research that focuses on understanding molecular mechanisms of cancer prevention by investigating the antihepatocarcinogenic and antinephrocarcinogenic effects of Selected South African medicinal plants against mycotoxin (Aflatoxin B1, Ochratoxin A, and Fumonisin) induced carcinogenesis," he explained.

Prof. Makhafola added that his decision to study in the field that he specialises in was because he always had a great interest in Biology and Biochemistry, which seemed to be his best fit. "Through-out my postgraduate studies, I fell in love with toxicology; a scientific discipline, overlapping with biology, chemistry, pharmacology, and medicine, which involves the study of the adverse effects of chemical substances on people, animals, and the environment. My focus is on Genetic toxicology. It is a very interesting field of study and I find it very rewarding because it is intertwined with Cancer Biology, one of my favourite fields of study."

His advice to other colleagues who wants to be in his position is self-motivation, passion, persistence, no shortcuts, being able to nurture relationships, and NEVER giving up. "Hype yourself and stay focused, have 1 plan, and stick to it. Find a disciple that excites not only your mind but body and soul and always have an open mind and be willing to learn." He lives by this motto: 'Being lazy is disrespectful to those who believe in you.'

When talking about growth and development at CUT he mentioned that the institution offers its employees' education advancement which to him is the best investment and empowering tool an employer can offer. "Thus far I managed to grow personally and academically. I have more students to supervise at both master's and doctoral levels, have more and better avenues for collaborations and I have more and better research articles and publications to work on. As the Assistant Dean: RIE, we continue to mobilize, encourage, and empower academic staff to participate in developmental programmes, identify funding opportunities and bring such to the attention of colleagues. The role we play as Assistant Deans makes it possible for the growth and development of employees."

He also indicated that there have been some challenges he had to overcome in achieving his career success. "As an early career researcher; my major challenges have been the imposter syndrome and self-doubt, poor time management, being stuck in comfort zones with no prospects for growth, and fear of failure. All these if not confronted can diminish one's creative energy and can tank one's confidence."

In conclusion, he said that his set goals for the next five years include the development of project proposals and collaborations that will ensure that the Centre for Quality of Health and Living, is in a position to be upgraded to a Centre of Excellence! "I would like to be a director on an extramural research unit supported by the South African Medical Research Council. One of my main focuses is to improve my NRF Rating and my personal goal is to complete all trainings required for registrations as a European Registered Toxicologist (ERT)."

Ms Tamsin van Aswegen joined CUT as a lecturer's assistant in 2012 and was promoted to Junior Lecturer position in 2014. Upon completing her master's degree in 2020, she was promoted to Hospitality Management Lecturer in the Faculty of Management Sciences. Born and bred in Bloemfontein, her roots are based here, "how lucky am I that the best Hotel School in the country is based here as well!" she said.

Tamsin said that she enjoys teaching as it is very rewarding to see the "light bulb" moment in a student when a concept makes sense, and their understanding changes. "Working with students every day leads to getting to know them on a personal level. I like to know the person as then; I am in a better position to understand their needs and assist them accordingly- both academically and personally if possible."

One of her wishes is to make a difference in students' lives- "whether it be in teaching, nurturing their dream careers or finding ways to assist them to overcome personal challenges. My main wish is to never see this position as just a job."

When asked why she decided to study in the field she specialses in, she said that the Hospitality Industry is broad and offers a wide range of employment opportunities. "I like the free spirit and freedom it provides you with. Hospitality is also one industry that is involved at all the important moments and occasions in people's lives – weddings, honeymoons, birthday celebrations, etc., and I think it is special to be a part of those memories and to make it extraordinarily memorable for guests."

She indicated that her Master of Management Sciences in Tourism and Hospitality Management was largely focused on marketing. "I enjoy this part of my field as Hospitality Marketing is also one of the subjects that I lecture here at the Hotel School."

She also said that CUT offers a lot of opportunities for employees to grow and develop within their respective career paths. "The opportunities are always there, whether it be in the form of training workshops, getting a higher qualification, or learning from strong leaders. It is up to an individual to grab them. There will never be enough time, you need to make time," she said.

She mentioned that COVID-19 has and still is drastically changing the industry and the higher education space has also become unstable due to various reasons. "Hospitality will without a doubt have to adapt as these factors affect all our day-to-day tasks and often make them challenging. With a country as beautiful as ours, and some of the best hotels and restaurants in the world, there will always be a demand from the international community to come and experience it. I look forward to seeing how we as resourceful South Africans, find new ways to welcome them."

When advising aspiring lecturers, she said "teaching is more than just hours spent in front of a class. A lot of students look up to us for encouragement, affirmation, and sometimes just an ear to listen."

She lives on a motto- "Jehovah Jireh" meaning: The Lord will provide.