Emeris Durban North Graduate Earns National Top Achiever Award with 99% Average

After achieving a 99% average in his IIE Bachelor of Computer and Information Sciences in Application Development degree, Cameron Chetty placed first nationally across all Emeris campuses and received the Top Achiever Award in his programme at Emeris Durban North’s recent graduation ceremony.

He was among the 870 Emeris Durban North students, including 125 from Emeris’ Online Centre, who graduated through The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE) Class of 2025. Twenty Emeris Durban North Class of 2025 graduates were each honoured with a Top Achiever Award and 283 students graduated with distinction (75% and above) across every programme and or specialisation.

“Receiving my degree felt really good. It was a lot of hard work. I did know ahead of time that I was going to receive the Top Achiever Award, but I didn’t know I placed first nationally so that was a surprise and felt so surreal,” said Chetty.

“I was shocked to hear the cheers from the crowd as I walked across the stage to receive my award as I’m not one for attention and I don’t know how to react. It was a special moment for me though and I felt overjoyed”.

His mother, Myriam, was extremely proud of her youngest child and raved about his achievement throughout the day. Chetty said he was very grateful to his family who supported every late night study session, his lecturers who challenged him and his classmates who pushed him to think differently.

He chose his degree because of his love for solving problems that genuinely help people. “During high school, I was drawn to how technology could transform the way we live and work, but it wasn’t just about coding. It was about building solutions that matter. Application development gives me the tools for tangible solutions and that possibility excites me every day,” he explained.

Chetty said he is most proud of his third year of study, which challenged him both academically and personally. “There was a great deal of group work. I never thought I was capable of being in a leadership position or leading a team, so I’m glad that I tried it. I got out of my comfort zone and I was exposed to working with others, being part of a team and delegating tasks”.

As part of his Work Integrated Learning (WIL) module, Chetty was part of a team of seven students who developed a clinical asset management application for Busamed Private Hospital.

“The App helps keep a full inventory of the hospital’s clinical assets, including medical equipment like defibrillators and heart rate machines. The hospital previously tracked this manually, which meant that there was a great deal of paperwork which could sometimes be lost,” he said.

“The App also helps the hospital analyse costs and monitor how effectively assets were performing”.

Chetty is currently studying towards his IIE Postgraduate Diploma in Data Analytics. He is also an academic tutor for second year students, a member of the Emeris Cares Committee (student volunteer body) and has worked part-time as a freelance Junior Developer since the start of his undergraduate studies in 2023.

When asked how he managed to juggle it all, Chetty ascribed it to strong time management and planning ahead.

On how he stays motivated throughout his studies, especially during challenging times, Chetty said his motivation comes from loving what he’s learning.

“When you’re excited about solving a complex problem or finally understanding a difficult concept, studying doesn’t feel like a burden. During challenging times, I remind myself why I started this journey – the projects I want to build, the problems I want to solve and the career I’m working towards”.

In his downtime, he spends time with his family, his friends and his two cats and three dogs.

His advice to students aiming for excellence:

• fall in love with learning
• work consistently throughout the year
• don’t study in isolation – collaborate and teach each other and
• apply what you’ve learnt immediately.

Felicia Jagdeo (Head of Computer Science at Emeris Durban North) said Chetty consistently demonstrated outstanding academic ability, a strong work ethic and a genuine commitment to excellence.

“Beyond his academic achievements, Cameron conducted himself with maturity, humility and respect toward both his lecturers and peers. He was hardworking, engaged in the classroom and always willing to contribute positively to discussions and teamwork. This achievement is a reflection not only of his intelligence, but also of his dedication, discipline and character. I am incredibly proud of him and have no doubt that he has a very bright future ahead,” she said.

Rajesh Chandarman (Campus Head at Emeris Durban North) congratulated the graduating Class of 2025 and praised the students for their perseverance, determination and hard work throughout their academic journey.