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6 September 2024

Academic Success Is A Journey, Not A Destination

Written by Marisa Grundling

As my upcoming work anniversary approaches, it has been a time of reflection on my academic success.  And it seems fitting that my moment of introspection is at the end of Women's Month!

One of the battles we as women often face is the belief that we are "not good enough". A coach once challenged me with a life-changing statement: "Okay, so you're not good enough? Prove it." That turned things around for me. When you start writing down your achievements, you tend to gain perspective. So here goes:

I started at Milpark Education in September 2019 when my twins were just one-and-a-half years old – my enthusiasm could only have come from extreme sleep deprivation or sheer optimism!

In November of that year, while finishing my Diploma in Risk Management, I began a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree, marking the beginning, marking the beginning of my journey toward economic success.

 Easy-peasy, right? And then 2020 happened…

Here is Some Background

Having prepared most of our exams by March 2020 to be written in May that year, we quickly had to pivot to online exams:

  • I lectured in 11 modules and offered countless additional classes to help students navigate this difficult year.
  • Launched short-term insurance Continuing Professional Development (CPD) by sending participants mug cakes for the online sessions – because aren’t the snacks why most of us show up?
  • Obtained Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) accreditation for the Higher Certificate in Short-term Insurance (HC in STI).

2021 was about hanging on and hoping for better days:

  • Became Programme Coordinator for Short-term Insurance qualifications.
  • Trialed a new initiative with discussion forums to encourage deeper learning (and, occasionally, fierce debates).
  • Achieved CII accreditation for the Advanced Certificate in Short-term Insurance (AC in STI).
  • Started MIND (Milpark Insurance Nerd Day) to honour worldwide Insurance Nerd Day, because why not celebrate our inner nerd?
  • Obtained my BCom and started postgraduate studies, further building on my academic success
  • Launched soft skills CPDs such as time management because, apparently, there’s more to it than just setting all your clocks five minutes ahead and hoping for the best!

2022 started with a bang:

  • Launched an Advanced Business Interruption CPD.
  • Joined The Insurance Apprentice as a judge in the elimination rounds (channelling my inner Simon Cowell).
  • Was awarded my postgraduate degree.
  • Completed additional short courses in Assessment Development and Professional Business Communication.

Provided free Class of Business (COB) courses to My Career in Insurance, a Non-profit Organisation (NPO).

Read More: A Tailored Approach: Milpark's PG Diploma in Risk Management

2023 arrived with new challenges:

  • Became Head of Department and commenced my Master’s degree, a key step in my journey toward academic success.
  • Earned the EON-XR virtual reality certificate.
  • Began work on the launch of the new Postgrad in Risk Management.
  • Presented at the Institute of Risk Management South Africa (IRMSA) conference.
  • With my team, we extended access to the HC and AC in STI through RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) and launched a Bridging Course for the AC in STI.
  • Enrolled and guided a team in the Spencer Risk Management Challenge.

To date, 2024 has been a whirlwind:

  • Launched the PGD in RM with numbers that smashed all expectations, marking a major milestone in our academic success.
  • Took a group of BCom students (the "Risk Avengers") to San Diego; they ranked in the top eight worldwide for their risk report in the Spencer Risk Management Challenge.
  • Collaborated with the first Postgraduate Diploma in Risk Management (PGD in RM) cohort to contribute research to the IRMSA Risk Report.
  • The department became a supporting member of the United Nations Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI) initiative.
  • Started work on launching Risk and Compliance Streams on the Higher Certificate and Advanced Certificate in Management.

Final Thoughts

The journey toward academic success has been filled with both challenges and achievements, each step paving the way for new opportunities.  

I’m often asked: “How do you do it all?”

Well, the secret is a combination of passion, perseverance and coffee (lots of it). But more importantly, it’s about believing you are always "good enough" to try, fail, learn and succeed.

Because being "good enough" isn’t a destination – it’s a journey. And what a journey it has been!

If you’re looking to achieve academic success in risk management, now is the perfect time to act. Apply today for a Risk Management course at Milpark Education and begin your path to success.