Becoming the first graduate in the family

For many students, graduation is a celebrated and expected milestone.

For Alexander Mungendje, it is something much more profound.

“It is a historical shift,” he says.

Mungendje, a public management student at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust), has become the first person in his family to earn a degree.

In a household of 16 siblings, the path to higher education was not just unpaved, it was non-existent, he says.

Mungendje and his twin are the last born of the 16. His twin is yet to graduate.

“I often looked for an academic mentor within my family, someone who could show me the ropes of university life.

When I found no one, I realised I would have to become that person myself,” he says.

He adds that the journey was not easy, describing his path as rough.

An obstacle he faced was that he could not afford first-year registration fees at Nust.

He lost his mother at a young age, and during his studies, his father also died.

“This was a downcast moment because I wanted my dad to witness my graduation day,” he says.

“He was the only parental figure I had left.”

Combined with the grief was a “doubting spirit” that whispered he was trying to achieve the impossible.

At his village in the Ohangwena region, some mocked his ambitions, believing that because no one in his family had ever succeeded academically, he wouldn’t either.

However, Mungendje used that mockery as fuel, deciding to let his success speak on his behalf.

Despite the struggles, there were flashes of the ‘greatness’ Mungendje believes he was born for.

A turning point came during his internship in the Office of the President.

Sitting in a meeting at State House being addressed by president Netumbo Ndaitwah was a moment of disbelief, he says.

“I said to myself, ‘Is it me in the State House?’ That moment confirmed I was born for this,” he says.
On the academic front, his ‘mountain’ was a module called basic business statistics.

After struggling with it initially, he refused to give up, eventually mastering the subject so well that he began tutoring other students on campus.

Today, Mungendje views himself as a “chain breaker.”

His achievement isn’t just about a certificate; it’s about opening a door that was previously locked for his family.

With his degree in hand, he looks toward a future in public policy and community development.

He hopes to work within the corporate and public sectors to improve service delivery and livelihoods, he says.

His advice to other students facing hardship is simple but powerful: “Do not allow people to determine your abilities.

Excellence is the most powerful answer you can give to the doubters.”

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