For Jabulisile Maphumulo, a Bachelor of Laws graduate at the University of Zululand (UNIZULU), heartbreak did not mark the end of her journey–it became the weight she carried with courage, transforming loss into resilience and ultimately into academic victory.
Born and raised in Lamontville, a small township in Durban, Maphumulo grew up feeling misunderstood. Choosing to study law was her way of finding her voice and ensuring that others would be heard too. But her path through university was anything but smooth.
In her first semester in 2022, tragedy struck: she lost her beloved brother, the person she loved the most in her family. The grief was overwhelming. She withdrew from campus, missed lectures, and returned only just before exams. With little preparation and heavy sorrow, she struggled to focus, slept through exam season, and earned poor marks. Yet, even in that darkness, she managed to pass–a small but significant victory that kept her moving forward.
“When I lost my brother, I felt like my world ended. Passing that semester wasn’t just about marks, it was proof that I could keep moving, even in the darkest time,” she reflected.
The second semester was no easier. Online assignments felt confusing, assessments piled up, and failure loomed. What kept her going was the thought of her mother, now left with only one child and the desire to make her brother proud, even in his absence. Through tears and sleepless nights, she began to rise. By the end of that year, she was earning distinctions. By 2023, her motivation had shifted; she was no longer studying only for her loved ones, but also to secure her own future.
Her journey was not without setbacks. Therapy in 2024 felt ineffective, as she realised she was searching for a way to erase the pain rather than process it. Still, she pressed on, supported by her friends, family and lecturers who offered guidance and kindness when she needed it the most.
Through it all, Maphumulo discovered that a degree is more than a piece of paper. University taught her that deadlines do not wait for grief, exams do not pause for heartbreak, and resilience is forged in the moments when giving up feels easiest. She learnt to navigate her emotions under pressure, to lean on her support system and to stand her ground when life tested her. By 2025, she had achieved the impossible, by completing her Bachelor of Laws in record time, earning 25 distinctions, and maintaining an average of 75%. Though her early grades kept her from making the list of the top five achievers in her faculty, she remains deeply proud of her journey–not because it was perfect but because it was proof of perseverance.
Today, Maphumulo celebrates not only her academic success but the victory of resilience. “It is a bittersweet triumph,” she said. “One that honours my brother’s memory, makes my mother proud and secures my future.”
Her message to others: “It is okay to feel your emotions, but do not lose your momentum. Whatever happens, keep moving forward.
– Nomusa Mangxa
Isithombe: James Thwala
