Priscilla Klein's inspiring DSV-ET journey

Priscilla’s big break came in 2011 when she was employed as an inventory controller at DSV’s facility in Linbro Park. Within her first year of employment, Priscilla applied for a study grant through the DSV Empowerment Trust (DSV-ET). Her application was successful, enabling her to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of South Africa (UNISA), and she hasn’t looked back since. Today, Priscilla holds two degrees from UNISA, and her two daughters have both been beneficiaries of the DSV-ET.

Priscilla’s story, however, begins in Burgersdorp, a small and scenic farming town in the Eastern Cape, where she started Grade 1. Priscilla knew from an early age she wanted to “do better”, despite being plagued by self-doubt and worry about not being in the same world as “movers and shakers and the people who make things happen”.

“I wanted to become the best version of myself. I didn’t want to always be on the receiving side”, she said.

Poor communities, though, don’t offer many opportunities to grow, nor do they expose people to what life in the “outside world” offers. “The lack of guidance was a major obstacle for young people”, Priscilla said.

Fortunately, Priscilla’s parents made sure she attended high school in East London while many of her classmates dropped out at the end of primary school due to the absence of a high school in Burgersdorp.

After completing matric, Priscilla began working as a picker at a pharmaceutical company, but her fortunes changed when she joined DSV in 2011. A year later, she was approved for a study grant from the DSV-ET, which has awarded more than 1,100 study grants to qualifying South Africans since 2005.

During her third year of study, Priscilla faced a major life challenge when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She made the difficult decision to pause her studies for a year to undergo treatment, all while fulfilling her roles as a wife and mother to three children, each of whom was a student at the time.

Priscilla resumed her studies in 2014 and at the same time, seized the opportunity to join the DSV Talent Pool Programme, which offered training to enhance her understanding of the transport and logistics industry, and improve her self-awareness and confidence.

In 2016, Priscilla was promoted to Head of Department for inventory and pricing, before taking on her current role as Logistics Coordinator within the operational team. Priscilla believes that her completion of her first degree in business administration not only gave her greater confidence but paved the way for promotion, and helped show others what was possible with hard work and application of learned knowledge.

Giving back is important to Priscilla because she recognised that access to education would change her family’s future. The DSV-ET gave Priscilla the opportunity to prove to herself that she did matter, irrespective of where she came from, and it has been instrumental in developing her as a person.

Helping others has been hugely rewarding for Priscilla. She helps coworkers with advice and support during the application process, and together with her husband, friends, and work colleagues, hosted an educational expo within her community. Six of the ten youngsters Priscilla nominated, received study grants through the DSV-ET and successfully completed their studies.

Despite life’s challenges, Priscilla’s successes are many and she is an inspiration to all who know her. Recovering from cancer, graduating with two degrees, carving out a career she didn’t dare dream of, helping her children access funding for their degrees, and then helping colleagues and her community.

Being positive is central to Priscilla’s philosophy. She used her studies and encouraging her daughter during matric to strengthen her resolve in her fight against cancer.

It’s a full life and one which Priscilla feels is there for many to have – if they take the opportunities that come their way.