When Sonique Simpson (21) from Graaff-Reinet fell pregnant at the age of 17, she was determined to create a better future for herself and her son Malachi Simpson (3).
Now, after facing multiple obstacles over the last three years, she will be graduating on April 28 at Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha.
While Simpson was in grade 11 at Union High School in Graaff-Reinet she fell pregnant at the age of 17, but she knew that to create a better future for herself and her son she had to further her education.
In 2019, she enrolled to study Bachelor of Arts and majored in Psychology and English Language Studies.
Since her son stayed with her family in Graaff-Reinet she had to travel home every second weekend.
However, in 2020, she became concerned of her son’s development when she noticed that he had a delay in both his speech and walking.
In March last year after a visit to his paediatrician an MRI was conducted, and it was revealed that he had severe hearing loss in both ears.
Simpson said her son’s diagnoses resulted in frequent trips home to be present during his visits to the speech therapist and audiologist.
Said Simpson:
Despite the regular commute home and difficulties with her son’s disability, she continued to remain focused on her academic career by establishing a good balance between motherhood and her studies.
She said she could not have completed her studies without help from her mother Jamique, her aunt Carryn and her grandmother Janine who were her support system.
“During the last three years I have had difficulties like every other mother with academic stress added to it, but my mother and grandmother taught me to pray to the Lord our God about it and to persevere no matter what came my way,” said Simpson.
“I had to have a schedule set up that worked for me. It was not the most perfect or strict strategy, but it was a guideline and I had to make sure to not deviate from it.”
Finally, her hard work and dedication paid off and she will be graduating on April 28 at NMU’s South Campus in Gqeberha.
“When I received confirmation that I was going to graduate the excitement was uncontainable. I was, however, not shocked at all because I was striving towards it and it was just a matter of how well I was going to do and how far I’ll go,” said Simpson.
Looking to the future she hopes to pursue her Honours in Psychology or follow a new path to study towards her law degree or degree in medicine.
“I have set my sights on so many different things, I only have to choose at this point. My possibilities are endless,” said Simpson.
