FRANCISTOWN: The late British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, once said: “I do not know anyone who has got to the top without hard work.

“That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but should get you pretty near”. The quote by the first female British Prime Minister and the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century probably inspired the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) valedictorian of the Class of 2022, Lebogang Othusitse.

Othusitse, 22, a Bachelor of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology graduate, told Mmegi Tuesday that it was no fluke that she graduated with the highest grades in the entire institution.

“When I entered the gates of BIUST, I dreamt of graduating with top grades in my department and the whole university. I knew that I had to work very hard to achieve that dream. In life, if you know what you want, you will achieve it. Above everything else, you should be disciplined,” said an ecstatic Othusitse.

Asked how she feels after her great achievement, Othusitse said: “I am still very happy about my success although I was told very late that I was the best overall student in BIUST towards the graduation ceremony.” She revealed that after she completed her high school, she harboured dreams of either studying science and business-based courses at university but she, however, settled for the former. “I did my first year of General Sciences at the University of Botswana (UB) and then transferred to BIUST. I have always been passionate about sciences hence I ended up choosing a course in sciences. I chose a Bachelor of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology course because it deals with plants, animals and human beings. I wanted to understand everything about the biological systems of these species,” Othusitse clarified. She also hailed the support she received from her lecturers especially her project supervisor. “The staff at BIUST is very dedicated to helping students. They gave their all to make sure that we will succeed. For example, when I did my final year, I had to travel between Palapye and Gaborone almost on a weekly basis because I did my project in Gaborone. My project supervisor is the one who was paying for my travelling costs,” she reminisced.

Othusitse and her peers graduated after the teaching and learning processes were disrupted by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. She, however, said that to her, the pandemic was a blessing in disguise. “Unlike other people, I think the COVID-19 pandemic really helped me. It gave me the opportunity to go home in Gaborone for two months and catch up with my pending school work.

It also gave me the opportunity to reset my mind,” Othusitse posited. When asked what she would like to do at graduate level, Othusitse responded: “I want to continue with the same course but speciliase.”

Meanwhile, when giving the valedictorian speech on behalf of the BIUST Class of 2022, she said it was a great honour for her to speak on behalf of other graduands. She revealed that after four years of studying, their efforts had finally paid off. She also congratulated the BIUST Class of 2022 for the achievements they have made and the love and happiness they received at BIUST during their stay. She thanked BIUST’s academic and non-academic staff for assisting and making sure that they prevailed in their studies against all odds.

During the ceremony, 11 students graduated with Doctoral degrees. Of this number, five were males while six were females. At Masters’ level, 61 students graduated. Out of this number, 29 were males while 32 were females. At first degree level, 226 students graduated of which 130 were males while 96 were females. Of the 16 award winners, which were sponsored by various business entities, 13 were won by females while males won the remaining three.