To all the readers and leaders alike, my name is Linda Tshaya. I am 20 years old and I am a third-year student at the University of Cape Town.

At the peak of the pandemic in 2020, I had never imagined making it this far. Coming from a township where unlimited access to the internet is a luxury that I could not afford, and the access to tutors was very limited, the success that I have achieved so far seemed to be a mere shout into the void. Feeling as if I began this journey 10 steps behind many, I relied on a higher power and the help of my supportive classmates in such desperate times of academic need.

Despite having achieved the accolade of Golden Key acknowledgement, there was a time where I felt so close to failure that success in this measure was far beyond my reach. Turning to webinars, Ted Talks, podcasts, and even social media conferences I gathered my inspiration by listening to successful entrepreneurs preach about their tireless days in the sun searching for employment and finally they received a breakthrough. This breakthrough would normally happen because of passion or the luck of a prominent mentor, with both of these almost non-existent for me, I began doubting myself and was faced with the question of, "What is my purpose?".

There are moments where this question still plagues my mind. With these mainstream inspirational resources proving to be of little to no help, I looked for a different avenue of inspiration. And I found one quite easily, looking closer to home I turned to my classmates. I drew inspiration from those who kept working even when their eyes were drooping at 3am, the morning of a final exam. It is then that I realised that we are going through similar struggles but there are those who still manage to prosper even though the odds are great. Their sense of grit and yearning for success, I realised, is what we should all master as it should serve as your greatest motivation.

As the youth of this generation, we face various challenges that may slow us down, whether it be indecisiveness with majors, the pressure to lead a glamorous life or even the occasional heartbreak. Faced with the fear of possible shame that is assumed with failure and self-doubt should serve as your motivation to grow and prosper.

I, therefore, come, humble and blessed to be writing this so that I could give you a tiny bit of advice for prosperity in anything you do and that is, guard your mental health above anything. Take pride in meditation, prayer or even moments of laughter, because what shall it profit a man/woman to gain the whole world but lose their soul? I am not a philosopher, a motivational speaker, or any sort of thinker, but trust me when I say that I have come this far without knowing what I have planned for the next five years – I will surely do much better when I discover more of myself. You can attain your goals just by taking every day as a step.

“They crawled before we walked, we walk so they can run. Thereafter they shall leap”

- Lindokuhle Mkhonto KaZwane Tshaya