Page 14 - issue 25

14 BIUST Post Graduation

I found out that discipline was a painful

process BUT with a WONDERFUL outcome!

Emmanuel Pax Makhura
Best Student in the Department of Chemical,Materials & Metallurgical Engineering
Best Student in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology
Best Overall Student : Chancellors Award

he star of the graduation event was “Vice-Chancellor, I wish to thank BIUST for
no other than the young graduating not only enabling me to excel academically
Tengineer who gave the Valedictorian but also for strengthening my character.
speech , Emmanuel Pax Makhura. The young Ladies and gentlemen, ‘Life is a journey,
man scooped three awards as the Best time is a challenge but character is a MUST-
Student in the Department of Chemical, HAVE because it is the platform of life’. The
Materials & Metallurgical Engineering, Best opportunities I received from BIUST makes
Student in the Faculty of Engineering and Best me confident about my ability to succeed
Overall Student -Chancellors Award. after graduation.”he expressed.

The promising Molalatau born engineer The Valedictorian went on to share some of
started his speech by sharing his humble his projects during his tenure at BIUST such as
background and how his sisters had advised taking part in the 2017 BIUST Research Chancellor’s Award - Best Overall Student Mr. Emmauel
and encouraged him to must always set his Symposium with a project on the pyrolysis of Pax Makhura, Stanbic Bank representative Mr.Callistus
own targets and work hard to make sure he plastics. Tjijoro handed the prize.
achieves them.
His Biogas project secured him a position
“Did I listen to them? NOOOO!, Some friends as a top-5 finalist in the 2018 CEDA/DBSA
a few years older than I am offered me what University Entrepreneurship Challenge. He
I considered better advice. They said: tertiary also cited a project on printing inks that had
is “a walk over”. They said “when it comes to already secured him a position in the top-50
attending classes, I can choose whenever I of KBL’s Kgalagadi Breweries Kickstart Youth
wish to attend.” he said . Entrepreneurship Program. He has also have
written 5 academic papers, 3 of which are
After failing his early exams, he took up his awaiting publication and is currently working
sisters advice and became more focused and on a book on Basic Process Engineering
determined. He shared with the guests in Control with my professor: Paul Agachi.
attendance at the graduation ceremony how
he had worked hard and made sacrifices such In an interview with Engineer Magazine he Best student in the Faculty of Engineering of Technology
as overlooking family gatherings in pursuit of was quizzed on his journey to Biust. He said, - Mr.Emmanuel Pax Makhura receiving a prize from a
better grades. “I wanted to pursue my studies abroad but BTC representatve Ms.Imelda Rossales
because of the 48 points that I had obtained
“To succeed at BIUST, I had to use the I didn’t manage to go abroad. So I came
power of choice which was before me, for to BIUST to pursue my dream of being an
tomorrow might have been too late for my engineer.”
aspirations. I chose to divert my attention to
my academics and kept my dream alive by He also highlighted that he was specifically
marrying my books, committing to complete interested in the renewable energy sector
my assignments on time, and divorcing the as he believes that he has the potential to
things that were a hindrance to my dream. improve the state of the nation.
And it was not easy (it was painful). I found
out that discipline was a painful process but The publication asked him if he had any advice
with a wonderful outcome! My advice to for the other graduates, Emmanuel said,” we
current BIUST students is this - Never believe have received great education at BIUST so
that there is time. Those who make best use we should not go back to society and seat on
of time, they grow and rise in life. Those who those degrees. We can use our knowledge Best Student in the Department of Chemical, Materials,
waste their time, they lag behind. They fail to acquired to better lives of Batswana.” Metallurgical Engineering - Mr.Emmanuel Pax Makhura
make any mark in life.” he encouraged. awarded a prize by Mr Johannes Motshegare of DEBSWANA
Diamond Mining Company

Issue 25 - Dec/Jan 2020 www.engineermagazine.co.bw