Thomas Janisch was not initially an Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) student, but a strong pull towards the economics courses in his BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) degree saw him make the switch and follow his gut towards a BCom in International Business and becoming the EMS CGW Schumann Medal winner of 2023.
“Although I enjoyed my year studying PPE, I found myself gravitating more towards my commerce subjects, particularly economics. I also liked the international aspect of the degree and the opportunity to learn a language (I chose French). I was lucky enough to spend a semester at ESSEC Business School in France because of this switch. International Business also offers a unique community within an undergraduate degree, which helped me meet a lot of great people”, he shared.
While it took a while to find his feet within the EMS faculty, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic disruption to academic operations, he eventually found enjoyment in his degree once back on campus. While his studies could sometimes be “grueling”, his experience was a positive one.
“My favourite academic year at the university was my honours year, where I feel I learnt and grew the most. I was challenged every single day and had to push myself harder than I ever had before. I always felt that the professors and the university’s facilities on campus facilitated an environment where learning new things felt easy.
“I was in Metanoia residence and loved being a part of the residence aspect of Stellenbosch student life – it truly is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience to live in that kind of environment and I will keep some of the friends I met there for the rest of my life.”
Currently part of the graduate development programme at the South African Reserve Bank, Thomas is working in the team responsible for analysis of our domestic economy. And intends to pursue a master’s programme in economics after gaining some more industry experience.
On his award Thomas feels both proud and humbled. “The EMS faculty is very special at SU, so to receive the top award is a great honour. It also gives me confidence in my own ability and makes me feel inspired to use the platform that SU has given me to make a positive impact on my country and community”.
“I must thank my parents for their support throughout the whole process – thank you for always letting me choose my own path and supporting me through each step of the way. I must thank my friends from Metanoia, the Lighthouse digs, and my roomies in Simonsrust. Finally, the amazing professors in the Economics department, and my honours class, particularly those who I spent so many hours in the lab with!”.
On how he spent his hours at university, Thomas realised that getting the results that you want requires putting in the hours and making some sacrifices and that increasingly throughout university that hard work doesn’t always look like 12-hour non-stop sessions in the library. “I realised that taking time to rest my mind, getting into nature, and spending time chatting to friends could end up being productive, as my mind felt much fresher when I had to return to studies, and my attitude to life as a whole was more positive despite how difficult the course was at times. This was crucial for avoiding burnout.”
To current and future students Thomas has a few words of encouragement, “I would say that there are lots of interesting and exciting opportunities for young South Africans to have an impact. Do not be discouraged by rejections from competitive graduate programmes and jobs (I was rejected from a fair few). South Africa needs your talents, so believe in yourself and your own voice. You can have a bigger impact than you might currently believe, and you have a unique perspective as a young person that is valued in the workplace.”
