Danielle Hector smiles broadly when she talks about the University of the Western Cape being an integral part of her life—from toddler to young graduate.
Hector was enrolled at the UWC crèche, Campus Kids, from 2007 to 2009. In a truly full-circle moment, on 15 April 2025, she graduated with her Bachelor of Commerce. Both her parents are UWC alumni: Hector’s mother was studying nursing at UWC, and her father BCom Accounting, when they enrolled her at Campus Kids.
She said: “I knew this crèche was different from the other crèches I was at, because it was at what I thought was my mother’s school.” Hector said that when passing by the university, she would always think fondly of the crèche and her time on campus. After Grade 12, Hector weighed up all her options and applied to UWC.
“I started my first year, BCom General, in 2022, and it was fully online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In my second year, it was back to in-person lectures, and I was on campus,” said Hector.
There were déjà vu moments for her, but she said it was good to be back on campus as a young adult.
Later, she said she returned to the crèche. “When I was looking to earn some extra money as a student, I worked there as a volunteer. It was so weird because some of the teachers are still there and recognised me after all these years.”
Hector now works as a student assistant at Information and Communication Services, helping fellow students. “The space always feels familiar because I walked around here with my mom, and now I get to walk around here as an adult.”
Now pursuing her Honours degree, Hector’s journey is a testament to how UWC continues to shape futures—starting from the earliest steps to cap-and-gown moments and beyond.
