Growing up in a small village of Peninghotsa in Limpopo, Dr Khensani Xivuri didn't know what she wanted to do after matric as she wasn't exposed to many options.

This month, Xivuri graduated with a PhD in applied data science from the University of Johannesburg. 

Speaking to Sowetan, the 32-year-old says her family, specifically her late brother and her father, paved the way to her success.

"My brother was in the same field, and he recommended that I do a BCom in informatics (information systems). I didn't really know what that was and had to do my research, but I went with it and fell in love with the field," she says.

On the decision to further her studies after obtaining her degrees, Xivuri said her father asked her to pursue her master's and PhD and even funded her studies with his pension money.

"A PhD was always my father's dream, but he was a teacher in the village and his focus was on making sure that all seven of his children got good education. Since he couldn't pursue his dream".

While applied data sciences is not a common field of study, Dr Xivuri says when she chose her PhD, she wanted to research something that was topical in today's age, hence she looked at Artificial Intelligence and how data is used by companies to remain competitive.

Dr Xivuri, who currently works in technology assurance at one of the biggest telecommunications companies in the country, says that what she enjoys most about her field is how current it is.

"The field is current and very relevant and practical. There is also a lot of opportunities to influence and contribute to a lasting impact. You can decide whether you want to be in the technical side, governance or in risk management and that's what I love most about this career," she shared.

The journey to a PhD was filled with challenges, with one of them being trying to balance her work, personal and academic aspects.

"Another challenge was that I would panic when I had to do my PhD submissions because they would come back with red markings from my supervisor and that would change my mood and ruin my day. Time management was also hard.

"However, once I understood that those things were part of the journey, things became better, and I saw growth. I remember one day my submission came back with no negative comment and that really motivated me," she adds.

Dr Xivuri says she believes more women will obtain such a degree in the near future because the course is still new.

"For those who wish to follow in my footsteps, I would say go put in that application and call me and I can hold your hand throughout the process. If someone from a rural village could do it, I believe anyone can do it as long as they have that dream and can put their mind to it," she said.