The Space Between
In every person’s life, there is a space. A space between where they are and where they want to be.
Meet Kath Dewar
Today, Kath is a young, successful, award-winning architect, and this is how she chose to grow through #thespacebetween on her journey towards achieving her goals.
It Takes Hard Work
Following a stellar matriculation from Sacred Heart College with five distinctions, Kath worked as an au pair in Europe to save for her studies. On her return, she enrolled at WITS to pursue a Bachelor of Architecture degree. With a lot of focus, drive and dedication, she made the Dean’s List, every year, and also received awards in both her second and third years.
You Need Resilience
But success does not come without its challenges. Kath needed a student loan to finance her studies. And a means to pay it off. She applied for financial assistance and got a student job at Lyt Architecture in her fourth year. Studying and working at the same time is no picnic, but despite all odds, she managed to pay back her loan before graduating – something few manage to do.
“One of the biggest challenges for me was the financial pressure associated with the process of becoming a professional. I was never handed anything and although it took me a bit longer, working at Lyt whilst studying enabled me to make it happen. Staying resilient and being patient whilst feeding my ambition remains important to me.”
– Kath Dewar
Choose A Path
After graduation, she continued to work at Lyt Architecture. The company recognised her potential and offered her a bursary to obtain her post-graduate degree. WITS also offered her a postgraduate scholarship. Kath chose the Lyt bursary as it involved a stipend to assist her in developing her visions and experiments while studying, as well as travel to Germany to do research – all of which would shape and inform Kath’s award-winning thesis.
Closing The Space
Entitled “Hyperembodiment”, her thesis centred around the use of an architectural design approach to solve the absence of an inclusionary space for women in Johannesburg’s male-dominated inner-city, with jewellery as a means of upliftment.
Kath proposed that three multi-storey connected buildings on Albertina Sisulu Road’s main pedestrian route be converted into a hub and community centre with spaces for jewellery galleries, classrooms and workshops, where women could learn, create and engage with one another.
Kath’s focus on innovation and an appreciation of South Africa’s cultural diversity saw her entered into the prestigious national Corobrik University Architecture student competition, where the best architectural students are identified based on their final theses and presented with awards at regional events. She also went on to graduate cum laude.
ONTO THE NEXT ONE
But success is not finite. It’s more of a destination. And once you get there, chances are you’ll already see your next achievement on the horizon. At present, Kath is still harnessing #thespacebetween her continued ambition and her long-term goals by learning and gaining as much industry experience as possible through her work at Lyt. Her ultimate goal is to run her own integrated architecture and design firm and we know that by focusing on the important things, she’ll get there.
At Profmed, we understand that for graduate professionals like Kath, and like you, it’s the space between hard work and achievement that defines who you are and who you’ll become.
How will you maximise #thespacebetween?
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