Alumni news met with UCT alumnus Jesmika, a dynamo currently juggling multiple roles - working on a PhD in breast cancer research, advocating for educational support initiatives for school children, content creator, brand ambassador, tutoring and preparing for Miss World South Africa.  

Whirlwind Jesmika is inspirational, determined, passionate, a perfectionist, not afraid of taking on big challenges and challenging stereotypes, setting significant goals to impact the world around her.  No dream is too big or challenge beyond the reach of this determined young woman who brings a special brand of positivity and optimism to all she does.

Alumni News (AN): Tell us about your studies at UCT and what made you decide to come to UCT to do your Honours degree here?

Jesmika Singh (JS) I love Cape Town and my sister was living in Cape Town, but the tipping point was that I knew I wanted to study breast cancer from the angle of human genetics and the UCT human genetics division and researchers who work at UCT are world renowned.  Growing up, I always wanted to go to UCT, but when my mom passed away, it took a while to get back into the swing of things, so I stayed in Durban for my undergraduate degree. While I am very glad that I did complete my undergraduate degree at UKZN, I am equally proud to be able to study here as well. I graduated summa cum laude, top of my class in both majors.      

My honours year in Human Genetics at UCT was great – we had a good support system, I enjoyed getting into the work and learning from my research supervisor Prof Collet Dandara, who carries out incredible work while juggling major roles in the faculty. I also met Bianca, who was my honours co-supervisor and became one of my best friends. Following this, I had the opportunity to complete my Masters in the Prof Dr Dr Stefan Barth lab that focuses on Cancer Biotechnology and Immunotherapy. The insights gleaned from working with Prof Barth have been invaluable. Not only did I grow as a scientist, I feel I grew on a personal level as well. This experience was one that tested me on many levels but ultimately made me a stronger, more resilient individual and scientist that can handle many different scenarios.      

The rollercoaster ride of your Masters
My masters’ years were really challenging.  Initially I thought I would finish my masters in a year but when I got to the end of the year, my supervisor said that I needed to continue and do more experiments.  This last year of my masters was challenging and took a lot out of me. I had dips in my mental health and experienced extreme stress, living far from a lot of my loved ones in Durban.  I am so passionate about the work that I do, I put everything into my research, working crazy, long hours – sometimes finding myself in the lab at 3am in the morning! But then I received 93% for my thesis, which is relatively unheard of and this completely shocked and delighted me.

When I was at school, I used to look at people who got marks in the 90’s and wished that I could be achieving those marks but felt it was unobtainable.  The support I received from my loved ones is truly what kept me going a lot of the time and I owe them a lot. Having said that, what I’ve learned through this experience is that if you keep persevering and moving forward, working hard at something you care about, you can achieve and get to the level you dreamed of. Your time will come. Sometimes it takes just backing yourself when it feels like the world is ending. Anyone that is struggling with their degree at the moment, I want you to know that if you just keep persevering and keep a positive mindset, it will work out. It is always very hard before it gets easier. Once you overcome this hurdle, you will be extremely proud of yourself- It may not feel like it now but you will. It is about having an almost unrealistic amount of self-belief and aiming extremely high. I always say, you should aim significantly higher than what you think you can achieve because what you may fall to is then often greater than your initial aspiration.

AN: You have been involved in many outreach initiatives over the years, tell us about some of those? 
JS: During my high school years, I struggled with confidence and at the time that my mother passed away, I wasn’t doing well in mathematics.  I started working with a tutor and he explained the work to me so well and encouraged me and this ignited an interest in mathematics for me.  This inspired me to work on my own and I started helping my friends who were struggling with their work.  My teacher noticed this and that my marks were increasing and suggested I apply to be a tutor, which I did and after a few months I became head of mentors because I was so invested in seeing others development.

When I was doing my undergrad degree, I started an organisation called Women for Change – providing support to university students around the country for their commute to campus, advice or emotional support for goals.  

While at UCT I tutored at James House in Hout Bay.  Being with the children was a breath of fresh air and a welcome break from my studies.  There was a young boy I met there who was extremely introverted and wouldn’t ask or answer questions because others made fun of him.  Every day I would engage with him on his own and motivate him and give him space to ask questions.  Slowly I saw the transition as he gained confidence and learned to speak up. Seeing the change in him was a special moment for me and made me realise why I enjoy tutoring – it is not just about the educational support and teaching skills, but it is about providing emotional support and building confidence. 

During my Masters year at UCT I was involved in mentoring students within my research lab.  My supervisor brought many international students to the lab and I mentored students from France, Germany, Belgium and many other countries. 

I have also been involved in a project sponsored by Inqaba Biotech.  We identified four organisations in Durban that work with children and Inqaba sponsored hampers that cater specifically to the needs of the children.  It is also a stationery drive because I want to promote the idea of working hard and getting into STEM careers. I also believe that without access to the basic needs and necessities for school, students can’t focus and reach their full potential. These hampers included educational support through stationery, sanitary pads, and food and emotional support through toys, underwear, socks and sweets. We are currently working on expanding this initiative and making it a longer term initiative,
     
As of recently, I have had the privilege of amplifying my projects ‘Bright Futures’ by joining my passions for the educational and emotional support to school students and breast cancer awareness by being invited to various institutions and organisations to speak on my personal journey, motivational speaking, educational talks (about pursuing careers in STEM) and breast cancer awareness. I have spoken at UCT, UKZN and Eh!Woza focusing on the aforementioned topics and ensuring time for students to ask questions and interact after. as well as hosted many live interviews with some of the country’s leading professionals and celebrities such as Prof Carol Ann Benn (breast cancer specialist and founder of Breast Health Foundation), Dr Kathryn Malherbe (founder of MedSol, who have developed an internationally acclaimed screening device for the rapid detection of breast cancer) and Shannon Esra (a SAFTA nominated South African actress that is widely known nationally and internationally for her incredible work and now has a one-woman show, focused on breast cancer survival, called ‘My Left Breast’). Through my work and intiatives I have been able to partner with incredible organisations like Breast Health Foundation (assisting them on awareness programs, access to equipment and support), Mina Foundation (providing students with free menstrual cups to alleviate period poverty and reduce the impact of menstruation on access to education), NPO BRCA SA (where I show people how to do breast exams and how to access free care packages for individuals that have been diagnosed) and recently Padel4Good. Padel4Good and I hosted a padel tournament in support of breast cancer awareness. I wanted it to be a moment where individuals could come together as a community to offer support to each other and talk about their personal experiences with the cause. I set up a little comment box where people could write anonymous letters to lost loved one or about their personal triumph over the disease. We also had prizes sponsored by local and small businesses to increase brand visibility and assist these companies with expanding their client base, at this tournament. We offered spot prizes to participants and spectators who showed kindness, support and good sportsmanship. I managed to organise prizes worth R25000.  I aim to host these tournaments frequently, to continue raising awareness and giving people an outlet to talk about their experiences, losses and triumphs of either dealing with cancer themselves or seeing a loved one deal with it. Furthermore, the feedback received was great! I also aim to amplify the voices of our youth through interviewing young trailblazers on my page. I interviewed a high school student who has developed an app to help those in his community and tourists, as well as being involved in several outreach programs in his school in Mitchell’s Plain. When I was invited to the UCT Open Day, I had the opportunity to speak on my personal journey and the motivational messages I wish to portray to our youth.

AN: What made you decide to enter the Miss World South Africa pageant?
It has always been a dream of mine to do modelling and enter a pageant.  There is a video of me, aged five, modelling on the side of a pageant that my sister was doing, because I was too small to enter!! However, above this, I am the type of person that believes in living with purpose- only doing things that will feed toward my overall goals, assist someone else or have a lasting impact. For a long time, I have wanted to make a difference and impact the world around me, but didn’t always know how to achieve that especially considering that I have all these big ideas but am just one person.  

I see this Miss World South Africa platform as one of leadership that can catapult initiatives like mine and bring awareness for issues that are pressing and affecting South Africans. I entered this pageant in specific because I see the direction they are going and the ultimate impact that they will have on our country and the world. I want to drive awareness and support for breast cancer as well as champion the need for improved educational support for children, thereby being a change agent who can kickstart initiatives to influence the world around me. I have dedicated my career to improving the lives of breast cancer patients and been a tutor to students for more than 8 years because of how deeply I care about the educational and emotional support of school students. Truthfully, in the time I have spent as a finalist my initiatives and reach has grown exponentially higher than I could have ever dreamed. The impact I have always dreamed of having I am finally able to work toward it and see direct impact. If I am able to progress further in this pageant, I am hopefully as to the national and hopefully global impact I can have. Through my work I want to impact policy changes, raise awareness for my causes and have a lasting impact on South Africa and the world. Thus alongside the global reach of MWSA and my dedication and passion for impacting the lives of South Africans, I believe I can make this impact. 

The Miss World organisation is amazing– they promote the idea that it is about beauty with a purpose and provide a platform for you to make a difference in people’s lives. They saw me and valued what I could offer with my beauty with a purpose project, they saw my physical side and didn’t worry about the fact that I am not tall. Their focus is on empowering women, encouraging leadership, bringing other women into the leadership space and giving them a voice.  

My involvement in the pageant is not just about my beauty with a purpose project, I really deeply want to bring awareness and change for causes important to me, but at the base of it, I want people to look at me and see someone who has opened a door that they never thought of having a foot in.  That you need to dream big and not be limited by other people’s perceptions/ comments. I want to show people that optimism and resilience can make a massive difference in achieving ones goals. More than that, I want people to see my journey and use it as a stepping stone to be something greater. 

For me, entering this pageant was essential because I know people of all ages who use their insecurities as reasons to not take on their dreams. My insecurity was that I wasn’t as tall as previous pageant queens but I use that now as my strength- it makes me unique and stand out. My being on this stage, breaks records. I want other people to see my story and realise that you can forge a new path, regardless of what has been done before. I want my story to be seen as a stepping stone for other people to see that so much is possible and with a little bit of self belief and a lot of big dreaming- you can achieve much greater things than me. I believe that everything we do should be built on- that is how we grow as a society.

Additionally, I promote optimism as something that can change your life and that is not often spoken about. Having an optimistic approach, believing that everything happens for a reason, is a key factor in keeping your mindset strong. Being optimistic does not mean being happy all the time, feel what you need to but it is about how you choose to rise above your challenges.

AN: Tell us why you are embarking on a PhD to design a dedicated South African cancer consortium?
JS: I have dedicated my life and career to finding more affordable and accessible treatments for breast cancer through research. I am currently about to start a PhD at the University of KwaZulu Natal and one of my supervisors is from there and the other is from UCT and my research and lab work will take place across both universities. My supervisors will be The PhD is aimed to have a lasting impact on South African patients. My supervisors: a female-led team comprising Prof Colleen Aldous (UKZN), Prof Sharon Prince (UCT) and Dr Tarryn Wilmer (SAMRC), are spearheading the idea of a cancer consortium.

My mother was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer when I was ten years old.  I saw the progression and how the treatment took a toll on my mom.  I didn’t know what the treatment was for, but I knew that she was constantly trying different treatments, and nothing was working.  Watching my mom’s deterioration and having a keen interest in science, I knew that I wanted to make a difference and wanted to stop or prevent any other family going through what my mom went through.  

My mom passed away when I was fifteen years old and I knew I wanted to work with, and hopefully to     cure breast cancer.  Having been working in the field for a few years now, I have realised that breast cancer is not just one thing and that I need to shift my goal to tackling breast cancer from different angles.  So now I am looking at it from different fields of human genetics, biotechnology, cell biology and epigenetics. I have always known that I want to help people and I knew that breast cancer was one way that I wanted to do that.  I want to make breast cancer treatments more accessible and to bring awareness so that people don’t have to get to the point of diagnosis at late stages. Early detection can truly save lives so we have to be doing monthly screenings- everyone, not just females.

The cancer consortium is important as we see, on many levels, that research in isolation has little impact. We need to come together as researchers, breast specialists, oncologists, radiologists, etc, all with differing backgrounds and specialities and put our understandings and findings together in order to create lasting impact. Consortiums like this, can propel our understanding and handling of breast cancer in South Africa and the world to a new level.

AN: Any advice/ encouragement to current students from the lessons you have learned?
Follow whatever you’re interested in and passionate about.  The path you are on is not necessarily the path others are on.  You can do everything you set your mind to.  You can be a model, you can enter a pageant, you can be a mentor/ tutor, you can do research, you can save lives, you can be a science communicator.  You can do different things, but you need to find your stepping stones that lead you in the direction you want to go. Find your motivation and believe in yourself wholeheartedly- regardless of what other people think you can and can not achieve- what matters is what you want to achieve and where you want to go. Do not be discouraged by any negative comments or feeling like you are not reaching the goals you set out. If you continue to believe in yourself, even when it is hard, you will surprise yourself at the outcomes. What you are currently achieving is not your limitation, your limitation is how high you believe you can go! Always aim higher than what you believe you can achieve because what you fall to will be greater than what you initially expected.

I was told that I was too short to be a model or to enter a beauty pageant, but I decided that was an important goal and I pursued it relentlessly and now I am a finalist in one of the country’s biggest pageants.  It is about keeping a positive mindset, believing in yourself, even when others are not going to encourage your goals.  If you know what your goal is – go for it!

You will encounter struggles along the way – like I did with my Masters, which took its toll on me.  But then I received my results and was accepted into the Miss World pageant, I realised that the struggle and suffering along the way made overcoming those hurdles more rewarding.  When you are going through something really tough, often waiting for you on the other side of the tough times, is something better than you could ever have imagined.  So, push through and remember to take breaks, because burnout can impact your life in a big way. 

AN: Juggling the many demands of your life, must be exhausting – how do you recharge? 
JS: My life can be a bit crazy! But I do try to find balance and when you're passionate about things, you get them done faster. And I don't do anything that I'm not really passionate about.

Mostly, I find a lot of comfort and energy in my loved ones. I spend a lot of time with my  and my partner’s family and they offer me more support than I could ever have hoped for. They really keep me going on the difficult days in particular. 

For me, helping people is energising. Organising and trying to find balance in the last while has been stressful, but taking time out, for example, organising hampers for children, recharged me – putting together packs and knowing that these will make a big difference in someone’s life gave me back the life I needed.

I really love food – so trying out different coffees and cafes that have unique offering, is fun for me.  I like to try local cuisine and am big on supporting local businesses.

Another way to relax is to watch comfort shows such as Harry Potter – I enjoy getting swept up in the magic!

AN: Any last words?
JS: Always go out and try things in life – you miss all the shots you don’t take! I have tried so many different things and people don’t know about all of them – the successes and failures. At least I know I tried and failed, rather than not trying at all. If I didn’t enter MWSA because I was worried about my insecurities, I would not be a finalist and I would not be making history as the shortest person in MWSA and Miss World (if I win). It is not always an easy cruise:  you work hard, try and fail sometimes, pick yourself up and carry on again.  The failure motivates you to do better and is a learning experience – it is what drives me.  Sometimes the failure means that either it’s not meant for me, or that I need to work harder and put more effort into something. The failure could be leading you to a greater success.

With an attitude like that, we know that Jesmika will go far, and we wish her well for the Miss World South Africa pageant on 5th October, her studies and the many initiatives she is involved in.