A UNIVERSITY lecturer has been nominated for a prestigious global award which celebrates women.
Dr Patricia Mathabe joined the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) in Cirencester as a lecturer in November and is now a finalist in the Women in Agriculture category in this year's The Women Changing The World Awards.
This global awards program recognises women changemakers and acknowledges success in many sectors including business, sustainability, leadership, health, education, product development, innovation and technology.
The awards ceremony will take place at St Ermin's Hotel, 2 Caxton Street, London on April 13.
Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Patricia was raised by her single mother and joined Settlers Agricultural High School at 12 years old where she was the only girl in the agriculture classroom.
After leaving school, she won various prestigious bursaries and scholarships which enabled her to study in South Africa, the UK, and the USA.
She completed a Bachelors Degree in Biotechnology at the Vaal University of Technology through the National Research Foundation Bursary before acquiring the Nelson Mandela Scholarship to study a Master’s Degree in Biotechnology at Cambridge University.
Patricia then completed her PhD in Plant Sciences at Montana State University.
She moved to the UK in January 2022 and led the BSc (Hons) Agribusiness Management degree at Easton College in Norwich before joining the RAU at the end of last year.
Patricia said: “Only if you are from Africa can you really understand how much the RAU is valued throughout Africa and particularly in the SADEC region.
"The RAU is held in very high esteem - this is the university of choice for most farming families.
“When I saw the position at the RAU advertised I had only been in the UK for a few months but I just knew I couldn’t let is pass me by and I had to take the chance.
"Now I am here and it really is my dream come true!”
“People must follow their calling to make a difference. It always starts with a bold move!
"Remember to never allow anyone to say no to your dreams. Become relentless and keep walking!”
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