GEORGE NEWS - At the age of 26, Gabriella Berman is the youngest PhD graduate in Nelson Mandela University's Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences since the merger in 2005.
She is also the first doctoral graduate in the faculty to have started and completed her studies on George Campus and graduated on Tuesday 4 April on George Campus.
She completed her master's degree within a year and her doctorate in marketing over two years, record times for both.
Coincidentally, her co-supervisor, Professor Madele Tait, was 29 when she received her PhD at the then University of Port Elizabeth in 1996, the youngest in the faculty at that stage.
"I was taught from a young age that if you set your mind on something, then you should stick to it and be determined - where there's a will, there's a way," says Berman." For me there was never an option to take longer to complete each degree because that was what I had set out to do. I also am very lucky to have the support system of my parents, friends and the mentorship from Dr Adele Potgieter, my supervisor.
"I will never forget Dr Potgieter's words: 'Come on, Gabs, let's go for your doctorate!'. I was hooked. It has pushed me past what I thought I was capable of academically and taught me life lessons of determination, perseverance and setting your heart on big goals."
Potgieter says Berman has a lot of characteristics that set her apart, resulting in her achievement. "What sets Gaby apart from the rest was determination, good work etiquette, no procrastination, follow-ups when she does not understand and a will to do things that other people think are unthinkable. She is a one-in-a-thousand student with a kind spirit whom I had the privilege of shaping for a few years."
Initially, Berman wanted to take a year off to teach in China after obtaining her honours degree, but the pandemic struck and she decided to continue with her master's with the topic being TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) tourism in China.
"It turned out to be the hardest year academically for me, with Teams meetings, working from home and the huge leap from honours to master's. I questioned my decision many times. It was also the first-ever home graduation, a unique and slightly desolate experience without the ambience of physically sharing it with other graduates," she says.
For her doctoral research topic, Berman chose the skincare industry, specifically its sensory branding in-store and online, as it was a challenge to their family business as well as for other companies having to become increasingly reliant on technology and e-commerce.
Gaby's mother, Carolyn Berman, started an all-natural skincare company, Katavi Botanicals, when Gaby was very young and so she grew up learning about the products, and worked for the company. With the pandemic, they also had to adjust to online business and marketing, which influenced her choice of research topic.
"I think I have the best of both worlds where I am right now. I live in a beautiful place, and work for Katavi, putting my studies to practical use growing the brand."
She also recently started tutoring in the marketing department on George Campus and hopes to publish articles and conference papers from her thesis. She also coaches horse-riding to both children and adults in the afternoons.
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