THE Bluff’s Jorryn Panjasuran stood among 93 undergraduate and postgraduate students at the annual Emeris Durban North Student Top Achiever Awards. Panjasuran, a second-year student enrolled in the Bachelor of Computer and Information Sciences in Application Development programme, was awarded the Faculty of Science and Technology Excellence Award ‘s Full Stack Impact Award.

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The ceremony served to acknowledge academic performance and contributions to campus life across the university’s various faculties.

The criteria for this award extend beyond classroom grades to also include a student’s broader influence on the campus community. Panjasuran currently serves as the president of the student body, Emeris Voice, and maintains responsibilities as a tutor while participating in the university hockey team and several community outreach initiatives. 

Panjasuran described the recognition as a reflection of all the hard work and sacrifices. 

“The award represents much more than academic achievement. It reflects the late nights, balancing my studies with tutoring, student leadership, campus events and hockey and the support I have received along the way,” he said.

Starting from scratch

What makes the achievement more notable is that Panjasuran had no background to coding before starting his degree. He said that he was drawn to the career path after attending an open day in Grade 12. 

“I had no background in coding, but after attending the Faculty of Science and Technology presentation, I felt a s strong feeling that this was where I was meant to be. Technology suddenly felt exciting, creative and useful and I realised it was a field where I could solve problems, build things and help people,” he said.

Receiving the award felt like the pinnacle for Panjasuran’s countless efforts and he believes that it serves as a reminder that the path that you did not plan for is the one that might end up shaping you the most.

Putting in the effort

The transition into a technical discipline required a reliance on consistency rather than initial expertise. Panjasuran emphasised that academic success in a new field depends on a student’s willingness to work for it. 

“Academic success is not about being perfect or knowing everything from day one. It is about being consistent, asking questions, using the support around you and not giving up when things get difficult,” he said.

During the ceremony, the Emeris leadership framed the awards as a means of encouraging students to apply their specialised knowledge toward societal improvement. Tammy Vermaak, the Head of Academics, said that the objective was to inspire continued excellence as students transition into professional roles.

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