Go-getter Sonette is making her voice heard

Sonette du Preez is the epitome of a go-getter. This 31-year-old former proud resident of Minjonet ladies’ residence on the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU) has a list of accolades that mirror her ambition.

“I am always trying to project optimism in every challenge presented to me,” she says, and boy, does it show! During her time at the NWU, Sonette completed her BSc Honours in Physiology in 2011, followed by an MSc in Occupational Hygiene in 2013, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education in 2015, and a PhD in Occupational Hygiene in 2019. She also served as primaria of Minjonet and was a member of the Student Representative Council in 2012.

Now a senior lecturer in Occupational Hygiene at the School of Physiology, Nutrition and Consumer Sciences at the NWU, Sonette shows no signs of slowing down.

She loves her work and the institution, of which she holds only fond memories. “There are too many good memories to choose from. Memories that stand out include swimming in the Calvyn, participating in Big Prims, getting the chance to go to intervarsity in Bloemfontein, watching sêr, and, of course, studying for long hours in the NWU library. But the biggest highlight for me comes from being part of Minjonet ladies’ residence. I had a home away from home and I established lifelong friendships.”

Sonette was part of the Top 20 Mail & Guardian Science Voices 2015 special edition and a LitNet Einstein Competition finalist in 2016. She also won the SAIOH Occupational Hygiene Article of the Year award in 2019.

 She does not hesitate to credit the role the NWU has played in her success. “I would definitely say that the NWU helped me to improve my people skills, which I consider to be one of the most important skills in the workplace. The NWU helped me to develop emotional awareness, management skills and reasoning abilities, and the university taught me how to interact with all kinds of people by listening to them, to communicate and how to relate to people.”

Sonette describes herself as “enthusiastic, committed and driven”, and with those characteristics one can only imagine what her future holds.