Former Miss South Africa Shudufhadzo Musida has earned a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University, the prestigious Ivy League institution in New York City.
The 29-year-old, who was crowned Miss South Africa 2020, shared her achievement in a series of social media posts, capturing the milestone with the caption, “It is finished,” she wrote.
“I am overcome with so many emotions. I am so grateful to have been able to do this. I am leaving Columbia University with a STEM-designated MPA, concentrating on international finance and economic policy. I’ve now conquered the edge and the Ivy League.”
Hailing from Ha-Masia village in the Vhembe District of Limpopo, Musida wears many hats. Beyond her academic success, she is an author, a mental health advocate, a humanitarian and a podcaster.
Her academic background also includes a BA honours in international relations from the University of the Witwatersrand and a bachelor of social science from the University of Pretoria.
Reflecting on her journey, Musida shared that moving to New York City had been a childhood dream.
“From the age of eight, I dreamed of living in New York,” she recalled. “After matric, I remember starting an application to Columbia University but never finishing it. A while later, I received a letter from them encouraging me to complete my application. I still have that letter somewhere in my room.
“At 18, just receiving a letter with a New York address from an institution that has shaped some of the world’s most extraordinary minds did not feel real to me. It felt distant. Bigger than me. Almost inaccessible. And yet, years later, I am now graduating from that very institution with my master’s degree.”
Musida admitted that the path to graduation was challenging, noting that it required “sacrifice, uncertainty, faith, exhaustion, perseverance, and starting over in many ways.”
Ultimately, her resilience carried her through. She expressed gratitude to the support system she had through the journey.
“I am deeply, deeply grateful to God. Grateful to my family for carrying me through moments when I could not carry myself. Grateful to everyone who believed in me even when I was still trying to believe in myself.”
Looking back, she noted that the last two years have “changed me in the best ways”. She also shared a special note of appreciation for Prof Andrea Bubula and Amel Ould-Brahim for “making macroeconomics something I grew to love when it terrified me”.
She encouraged the future generation: “Be kind to yourself and know that you’re doing enough.”
TimesLIVE
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