NAS Women: Make your education a priority

Posted on August 07, 2021

NAS Women: Make your education a priority
Women's Month: Focus on Ms Dolly Ayob

Q: Job title and in which department/research entity do you work? 

A: Faculty Student Advisor: Biological and Agricultural Sciences


Q: What has been the highlight of your career?

A: I have been very fortunate to do what I love at different stages of my life and career, from teaching to lecturing, advising and counselling. However, psychology has always been my passion, and I was fortunate enough to come back to finish my honours in psychology at a later stage in my life and career. This led to my career as a registered counsellor in private practice and a student advisor at the University of Pretoria.


Q: What inspires you?

A: My students, my clients, the resilience of people. As a student advisor and registered counsellor, I work in the helping professions. I love helping people and making a difference in the lives of others. I have found, though, that the people I am assisting are the very people who inspire me. Our students, for example, especially now with the lockdown challenges, have shown themselves to be so resilient. In the face of so many challenges, no contact lectures, data and device challenges, learning online, feeling isolated, they had risen to the challenge by reaching out for help when they needed it and solving the problems they could.


Q: What challenges have you experienced in your career?

A: Trying to balance the different roles as a woman, mother, wife, caregiver, chef, financial planner and career, of course! Managing all these roles and making sure that you can give your best to everyone and all the tasks can be stressful and exhausting. However, I have learnt that it is crucial to managing your time well, and I am slowly learning that self-care is vital; if I am OK, then everyone around me is OK.


Q: What message do you have for the youth of South Africa?

A: Make your education a priority! Your priority!

Set goals for yourself. Where do you see yourself, 3, 5 or 7 years from now?

Work hard towards your goals, study, manage your time well and ask for help when you need it.

Look for opportunities so that you will be able to develop your entrepreneurial spirit, thus creating jobs, which is so essential to our country right now.

Never stop trying, no matter how tough it gets! Stay the course! It will be worth it in the end!

- Author Martie Meyer

Copyright © University of Pretoria 2024. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 Corona Virus South African Resource Portal

To contact the University during the COVID-19 lockdown, please send an email to [email protected]

FAQ's Email Us Virtual Campus Share Cookie Preferences