Tuks student graduates with actuarial science degree at just 17

Pushing boundaries has never looked more inspiring. At just 17, Mongiwa Hazel Ntuli earned her actuarial science degree from the University of Pretoria (UP), making her one of the institution’s youngest graduates.

Ntuli started her university journey in 2022 after excelling academically throughout primary and high school.

Her outstanding performance enabled her to skip multiple grades and advance ahead of her peers.

GIFTED FROM A YOUNG AGE

Ntuli, who comes from Rosettenville in Johannesburg, displayed her academic talent early on when she accidentally took a Grade 4 exam while still in Grade 3.

“When I was in Grade 3, I mistakenly wrote a Grade 4 mathematics paper and scored the highest of all the actual Grade 4 students,” she recalls.

“My teacher identified this and allowed me to write more Grade 4 papers and saw that I performed exceptionally well.”

Seeing her brilliant performance, Ntuli was constantly moved to the next grade ahead of her peers.

She says she attributes her success to faith and gratitude: “I first and foremost attribute it all to God.”

FINDING HER FEET AND ADAPTING AS A YOUNG STUDENT

Ntuli says that choosing the University of Pretoria was as easy as pie, as it has one of the top-ranked actuarial science departments in the world.

Despite her academic excellence, Ntuli says that being younger than her classmates was challenging for her.

“Many students treated me like the little sister they never had. There were a lot of expectations of me and it got difficult to meet those expectations,” she says.

She said her strong support system, including family, friends and mentors empowered her to be resilient.

She mentions that constantly reminding herself why she started her journey and having multiple vision boards kept her motivated.

“I thought I’d failed and would need to repeat the year. It was a sign that no matter how many times I got knocked down, as long as I got back up, I still had a fighting chance,” said Ntuli.

She will now be pursuing her Honours degree and has no plans to slow down.

She says, “After this, I’m planning to both work and further my studies. I’ve always wanted an MBA.”

Ntuli sees her graduation as a generational milestone as she became the first in her family to graduate.

She advised young people who plan to study at Higher Institutions to be resilient and teachable.

“Be teachable. You don’t know everything. Learn how to fail forward. Take your losses, mix them up with perseverance and grit,” said Ntuli.