Popiel admits that it was intimidating at first to be in a class full of students who were decades younger than her, but she received a warm welcome on her first day from her classmates and senior lecturer, Mandie Richards, in Diversity Management class.
This week she graduated with a National Diploma in Office Management and Technology.
Popiel grew up in Gugulethu and had to drop out of school in Standard 8 (Grade 10) to help her mother to raise her siblings.
“I was working as a domestic worker but I had a dream of finishing my matric.”
In 1992 she went back to school full-time to repeat Standard 8 and to eventually finish her matric.
She worked as a domestic worker on weekends and after matric volunteered at several Non-Governmental Organisations.
Popiel enrolled at CPUT in 2016 and says her strategy was to be positive and keen to learn.
“I cannot describe how I feel. It's been a long journey but, in the end, I made it.”
Popiel said she was thankful to all her lecturers and plans to complete her Advanced Diploma.
“It’s about finishing what you start, no matter how long it takes.”
