‘It has always been a goal of mine to obtain a degree at one of the top universities in South Africa and I was fortunate enough to achieve that at UKZN!’

So says BSc Computer Science and Information Technology summa cum laude graduate Mr Mohammed Moodley.

Moodley was introduced to Information and Technology (IT) in high school and soon became obsessed with it, developing a passion for programming. This became his motivation to follow a career path in the technology industry, specialising in Computer Science and IT.

Moodley studied many exciting topics during work for his degree but found himself particularly drawn to the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). ‘This concept has always piqued my interest therefore being able to have a more in-depth look into this was thrilling,’ he said.

Moodley completed the majority of his degree during the global COVID-19 pandemic, which he says was tough.  ‘Adjusting to no contact learning was quite difficult and stressful,’ he said. ‘The highs of being able to discover and engage with intriguing concepts related to computer science and meet and work with my peers to develop projects, was some compensation.’

One of his most memorable moments was when he and his team – known as Frostbyte – produced the best project website for COMP203.

Moodley said the key to his success was time management. ‘Being able to manage your time effectively increases productivity and helps you to achieve your academic goals,’ he said.  He advised fellow students to find a study technique that suited them as this would aid their ability to retain information and achieve good results.

Moodley’s future plans revolve around the technology industry and becoming a software engineer.

He thanked his family: ‘Words alone cannot express my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for their unconditional support, dedication and sacrifices toward helping me achieve my dreams.’

In his spare time, Moodley enjoys playing video games, watching TV shows and supporting his favourite football team, Liverpool.  Pele was his source of inspiration, with the following words by the late, great Brazilian football player providing huge inspiration: ‘Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.’

Words: Sally Frost

Photograph: Abhi Indrarajan