Determined to build a better life for her child after failing matric and becoming a young mother, Dr Mumsy Boikanyo worked as a security guard at North-West University before turning her workplace into her classroom and earning her doctorate.
North-West, South Africa (09 November 2026) – Students who sit in Dr Mumsy Boikanyo’s English and Setswana lectures in the School of Psychosocial Education at North-West University (NWU) may not know the journey that brought her to the front of the classroom.
It has been a path filled with challenges, but also with hope and determination.
Born and raised in Mahikeng in North West, Dr Boikanyo grew up in a financially disadvantaged family with limited access to educational opportunities. She became the first person in her family to reach matric and pursue higher education, though her path was far from straightforward.
According to NWU, she became a mother at 18, faced the disappointment of failing matric and took a job as a security officer to provide for her child. Working in the university’s security department, she did her best to support her child through the hardships she faced.
“My experience as a security officer came very early in my working life, long before I became a lecturer or pursued my PhD. I had a child who depended on me, and I understood that I needed to find a way to earn a living. It was a practical decision driven by responsibility and the need to survive,” she explains.
What makes her story remarkable is that the university where she once worked to support her child later became the place where she pursued her academic dreams.
Along the way, an opportunity to work as an assistant teacher at a primary school introduced her to the joy of teaching. That experience inspired her to pursue a Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase Teaching at NWU.
While working as a primary school teacher, she went on to complete a master’s degree in curriculum studies at Concordia University in Portland. She then joined NWU as a lecturer, moving from basic education into higher education. Her academic journey culminated in a PhD, exploring how educational applications can help young children think about their own learning, engage with information and build the foundational skills they need for reading.
Now, she hopes to turn that research into an educational application that does more than entertain. She wants it to encourage children to think, make decisions, solve problems and develop foundational learning skills.
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Today, alongside teaching English and Setswana, supporting teacher development and researching early childhood education, Dr Boikanyo hopes to inspire her students to see what is possible.
“I want my students to look at me and see possibilities. I want them to recognise that they can achieve more than they may currently imagine for themselves.”
Having held on to her own dreams through setbacks and difficult beginnings, Dr Boikanyo hopes her journey from security officer to PhD graduate and lecturer at the same university will encourage young people to do the same. Her message is simple: never confuse your beginnings with your destiny.
“There is dignity in every honest job, and there is no shame in doing what you need to do to provide for yourself and your family. Sometimes life requires us to prioritise survival before we can fully pursue our ambitions. However, I would encourage people not to abandon their dreams. Continue learning, continue developing your skills and remain open to opportunities,” she concludes.
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