June 2013 - Department of Defence

focus on youthS A S O L D I E RSA Naval officer makes historyat the US Naval AcademyBy LS Nkululeko Zulu, InternalCorp Com Clerk, SA Navy HQPhoto: CPO Bafana NkosiAselect few can claim to makehistory in their lifetimes,but Ensign NombuleloNtombifuthi Pearl Mkhuliseis among an elite few whocan proudly say they haveinked their names in the historybooks. The 24-year-old who hailsfrom Umlazi near Durban hasbecome the first SA Naval officerto graduate from the United StatesNaval Academy and obtained aBachelor of Science Degree in OceanEngineering.A total of 1 047 men and womengraduated as the class of 2013 fromthe United States Naval Academyin Annapolis, Maryland, on 24 May2013. Ensign Mkhulise was amongthe 17 foreign students who alsograduated from the Academy. ThePresident of the United States, MrBarrack Obama, officiated at theprestigious ceremony which wasattended by an estimated 30 000spectators. The occasion marked theNaval Academy’s 163 rd traditionalgraduation ceremony since it wasfirst established in 1845.Ensign Mkhulise was away forfour years on the course comprisedfour disciplines, namely CoastalEngineering, Offshore Engineering,Underwater Engineering andEnvironmental Engineering.Asked what she found mostchallenging and rewarding duringthe course she replied: “Beingaway from home was the mostchallenging. The course entailed abalance between moral, mental andphysical development. This requireda lot of time and determination, butit was rewarding when I walkedacross the stage with my BScEngineering Degree after shakingPresident Obama’s hand. This meantI had accomplished what I wassent there for and had successfullyovercame all obstacles.”She joined the SA Navy in January2008. Ensign Mkhulise said: “Firstlyto serve my country and secondlyit was an interesting and unusualcareer path. I was inspired by theway SA Navy personnel carriedthemselves.”What advice would you give toany women and fellow sailorsfollowing in your footsteps?My favourite motto is: ‘If it is to be,it is up to me’. No one is entitled toanything in this world. If you wantsomething, it is up to you to get up anddo it yourself. As long as one does notlimit oneself, nothing is impossible.Is there a particular person that youlook up to or who inspires you inyour life and why?My grandmother is my hero. I have nevercome across such a determined and kindheartedindividual. She inspires me tobe strong and not to pay attention to thebad things in society. She also encouragesme to pray and build a relationship withGod. My grandmother is a true exampleof perseverance. No matter how difficulther life may have been she has managedto turn around all the bad into somethingpositive, which has made her a betterperson.In a few words how would youdescribe yourself?I am a person of great capabilities andone who enjoys socialising with differentpeople. I view myself as a hard workingindividual who does not give up untilshe gets what she wants. Through mygrandmother I have learned to be caringand compassionate.Do you have any hobbies orinterests?I stay active by working out in the gym;learn about different cultures around theworld; sing (even though I am nowhereclose to being a great singer); hang outwith friends, meet new people and readinspirational novels.Family and friends support Ensign Nombulelo Ntombifuthi PearlMkulise (second from right) on her graduation day.Ensign Mkhulise ended ourinterview with these words: “Afterthe past four years in the US I havelearned a lot of lessons, for examplethe importance of serving mycountry to the best of my ability. I amlooking forward to ploughing backwhat I have learned into the SA Navyand South Africa as a whole for therest of my naval career. This is theend of the previous chapter and thebeginning of a new one”.J U N E 2 0 1 3 • 35