Sandi Theron is a wife and mother of two beautiful children. She is also a recent graduate of the PGDip in Sustainable Development offered by the CST. Sandi has over 15 years of experience working as a Chartered Accountant in the corporate workspace, both in South Africa and abroad. In addition to her professional career, Sandi has also dedicated her time and skills to volunteering in the NGO sector. In recent years, Sandi has been focused on establishing a local social innovation initiative named Out the Box that promotes collaboration in developing innovative and unconventional solutions to address complex challenges faced by local communities. Sandi is also passionate about education and the natural world and has been actively involved in outdoor educational programs.
Sandi‘s main motivation for enrolling in the PGDip in Sustainable Development stemmed from her professional experiences. Having worked for employers who always encouraged innovative thinking, being a change agent, and active community involvement, Sandi recognised the importance of sustainable development in addressing complex challenges faced by communities. Seeking to further her knowledge and skills in this field, Sandi decided to enrol in the PGDip programme.
Through this experience and my work within various local communities in South Africa, I’ve been challenged to think about how I can bring about real, sustainable change through the diversity of the incredible people we have in this country. Therefore, this course resonated strongly with me as it offered a set of skills and knowledge relevant to the world’s many challenges today and, more specifically, within the African context.
Looking back at her experience, Sandi reflected on the most rewarding aspect of the PGDip programme and how it contributed to her personal and professional growth. She noted that the programme had far exceeded her initial expectations when she signed up for the course.
It has been one of the most humbling and life-changing experiences that I have had and has given me new eyes and lenses to see and make sense of the world. I have gained insight into multiple perspectives, and my paradigm has shifted. The reflective learning aspects have challenged me to the core and have allowed me to question and think deeply about many aspects of my life. The literature writing hasn’t just been informative and knowledge-building but has allowed me to develop a more critical way of thinking and how to formulate and pose an argument.
Reflecting on the benefits of the PGDip programme, Sandi expressed that the course provided her with a framework and toolkit to approach sustainability challenges and bring about real, visible and sustainable change. When offering advice to students considering pursuing the PGDip programme, Sandi emphasised:
This is no ordinary postgraduate diploma. So be prepared to be challenged in ways you will be thankful for. Be prepared to gain skills and knowledge that will assist you, not only in a career in sustainable development but in life.
Looking ahead, Sandi plans to focus on building resilient and strong communities through her social innovation initiative. Her initiative values and recognises the interconnected relationship between communities and the natural world. Sandi aims to bring about radical, incremental change that positively impacts the lives of people in the communities she serves. Additionally, she hopes to raise awareness and empower others to create change as well.
Learn more about the PGDip in Sustainable Development here.