‘Noticing the growth in myself was thrilling’

By her own admission, the study bug has now bitten, and Nina Taaibosch has not stopped learning, doing short courses and upskilling. The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Communication and Marketing Department’s (CMD) head of stakeholder events will graduate with her postgraduate diploma in management practice this September, completed at the UCT Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB).

“I am an almost 50-year-old wife, mother and grandmother. In my mind, this made for a very unlikely candidate for a postgraduate diploma, but here I am! I’ve been at UCT for almost 10 years, and the thought of taking on the challenge of further studies was extremely daunting,” said Nina, adding that it was her colleague, Aloy Gowne, who nudged her to pursue it, along with encouragement from colleagues and friends.

“I was so worried I would not have what it takes to stay the course: juggling work, family and my studies was not easy. Many times, I wanted to quit. But having the support of my fellow students helped carry me through. The learning journey was less about ‘ticking boxes’ and more about rethinking how I show up as a leader. Noticing the growth in myself was thrilling.”

As someone with a demanding work schedule, it goes without saying that a delicate balancing act was needed to not only overcome the unsettling feeling of quitting her studies, but to also remain present in her role at UCT. “What helped me most was creating structure and sticking to it – carving out dedicated study times and treating them with the same respect as work meetings. I also learned to be disciplined about prioritisation: letting go of the need for ‘perfect’ in some areas so I could give attention to what really mattered. Don’t get me wrong, there were some complaints at home that ‘Mommy was not around as much’. But when things felt overwhelming, I leaned on both my faith, family and support system at work,” Nina recalled.

Guided

“UCT created an enabling environment for growth, not only through the content but also the structure of the programme and the support of lecturers and facilitators. My colleagues were a critical support base for me, often carrying an extra load when I was away on [study] block. I truly appreciated this. Support structures at the UCT GSB are also helpful. Even when the workload felt overwhelming, I felt guided rather than left adrift.”

She added: “Reaching this milestone feels like the culmination of late nights, resilience, support from my husband, children and colleagues, and a willingness to stretch myself in new directions.”

“I also gained a deeper appreciation for the human side of leadership.”

The stage is not only set for her to join fellow graduands to receive their qualifications on Tuesday, 9 September, but also to use her newfound perspectives going forward. “The biggest shift has been moving from an operational mindset to a strategic one. I’ve become more comfortable with ambiguity and complexity, and more intentional about asking the right questions rather than rushing to solutions, although old habits do pop up from time to time.”

I also gained a deeper appreciation for the human side of leadership; that managing isn’t just about efficiency, but about cultivating trust, resilience, and adaptability in teams. Perhaps most importantly, I walk away with the confidence that I can navigate change better, lead with purpose and humility, and keep learning.”

Now that it is a time of celebration, Nina’s preferred graduation song is “Break My Stride” by Matthew Wilder, particularly the chorus. And what will she do now that she has some free time available? The answer is a simple one, “What free time?”