“My family inspired and motivated me to achieve this milestone. All the small things they did for me have shaped me into the person I am today,” says Dr Krinesha George.

From binge-watching crime TV shows as a child to obtaining a doctorate in Criminology and Forensics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal at the tender age of 28, University of Pretoria (UP)’s Dr Krinesha George is a shining example of passion and perseverance.

“I have a strong desire for perfection and order,” says George, who is a project coordinator for the mentorship programme at UP’s Career Services office, a role that sees her linking students with UP alumni and industry experts while communicating with students and mentors to ensure the success of the programme.

“I believe I have achieved a significant educational milestone in a specialised field,” she adds. “I am thankful to God, my parents and every teacher I have ever had the privilege of being a student of, as well as all the people who have been watching and cheering me on along this journey.”

The young doctoral graduate, who hails from Durban, describes herself as analytical, detail-oriented and practical, and says she has a strong work ethic and a natural inclination towards organisation, efficiency and problem-solving. She believes that these characteristics empowered her, and benefitted her academic pursuits and research in the fields of criminology and forensics. Although she has always valued education as a tool to change and influence the world, it was her mother who first wished to see George in a red doctoral gown.

“My family inspired and motivated me to achieve this milestone,” she says. “All the small things they did for me have shaped me into the person I am today.”

However, obtaining a PhD was anything but smooth sailing for George, who had to overcome numerous challenges. During her doctoral studies, she endured the loss of two uncles and was involved in a car accident that resulted in her breaking her foot. It did not help either that she lives in Midrand in Gauteng yet was registered at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. George is thankful for the encouragement and assistance she received from her UP colleagues and supervisors.

“I have an extremely supportive manager and deputy director, and I am happy with my current employment,” she says. “The University and its staff have been so supportive. When you are in a room of academics that understand the value of a PhD, you are much more appreciated.”

Despite the challenges, she kept going in an effort to follow her passion for criminology and forensics, which was ignited by TV shows about police investigations that she watched as a child.

“I was always the one to guess what would happen next and who was likely to be the killer,” George recalls.

When George started working with female offenders at the Department of Correctional Services as an intern, her initial enthusiasm for the field transitioned into an inquisitiveness to look more closely into issues and ask investigative questions. This experience informed her research topic.

“I learnt that many females are incarcerated due to circumstances,” she says. “Social services assist only after these women have reached correctional centres; that is because we live in a ‘mind your own business’ society. We could have saved so many lives and many generations if we had paid more attention to the people asking for help.

“I know what I accomplished is an astounding achievement to a lot of people, but I do not wish to let the title define who I am. What you make of the title is more valuable – that is how you contribute to society and the people around you.”

George hopes to combine her enthusiasm for travel with her dream of becoming a lecturer, by travelling the world to lecture in places such as China, the Netherlands, Dubai and Canada. That’s on the cards in the future – for now, she is excited that there is something meaningful and more immediate that she can experience: commemorating Youth Month, and the sacrifices of the youth of 1976 who took a stand against the status quo and fought for freedom in apartheid South Africa.

Her final word is for her family and friends, who provided her with the impetus to pursue her PhD goal.

“To my mother, this one is for you. To my father, my success reflects your hard work. Salah Eddine Messif, the person who saw me cry and never wiped my tears but always encouraged logical thinking and inspired a plan to attack our challenges, thank you for being there.”