"I started at Rhodes in 2006 and the Journalism department was unbelievable. It was modern, bright and had all the facilities we needed as students. I wanted to study journalism when I went for a career experience week at the Star Newspaper in Johannesburg during my Grade 11 year at school. 

 

People told me that Rhodes was the best places to study journalism and so I applied. I didn't even know anything about journalism or anything about a career in the field. The AMM is a beast of technology. It was pretty exciting being with people with the same interest in journalism, everybody had their own dream. My first memory of the AMM is having a tutorial in one of the upstairs boardrooms. Little did I know that that boardroom will be a place where I will have power nap during crunch time in third year while preparing my design portfolio. 

 

My specialisation was design and I was super fortunate to have two awesome lecturers. Design was intense. While preparing our design portfolios, we spend many late nights in the design labs. There were a few times that I was walking home from a night at the journalism labs and the sun was already out. 

 

I don't remember much from the academic/theory curriculum. However, I do remember the first theory course in modernity which was in February 2006. I can't remember the lecturer's name, but she was really good and has had an impact on me to this day. I wonder if you could find her name. She taught modernity to first years in 2006 and she is Caucasian female. And I think she was a fan of Liza Minnelli. I remember she made a joke about Liza Minnelli that has stuck with me to this day. 

 

I have not forgot about the department as I am super proud of being apart it for a good few year. In my first year, I didn't feel like I belong in the department. Maybe some lecturers thought that I would not make in the field. However as the years went on, once getting to know the lecturers, I did feel like I belonged in the department. Granted, I wasn't the brightest bulb in the sock drawer, but I excelled in design and it was really important to me. 

 

I made great friends during my time in the journalism department who I am still in close contact with after last seeing them 8 years ago. The department has influenced the career that I went into after graduating. I worked for Media 24 (The Witness newspaper) for 5.5 years. I started as junior sub-editor and a few years I was promoted to a senior designer. 

 

What stands out the most for me is spending hours and hours in the design labs. Trying to perfect my design portfolio. We had a great groups of friends and going through the whole spectrum of emotions of laughing, crying, getting angry, disappointment, frustration and cabin fever. 

However, I guarantee you that we laughed the most."