by Andries Maake and Zelda Janse van Rensburg The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment awarded 38 top National Diploma students and 24 B Tech top achievers at its Academic Colours Awards on Friday, 16 October. To qualify for an award, students must have completed their studies in the shortest prescribed time, should have been successful in all their subjects the first time, should have achieved distinctions in 33% of their total number of subjects, and maintained a minimum aggregate of 70% throughout the duration of the qualification.   The highlight of the event was when Yannick Kala-Konga was enthusiastically applauded when he received an award for the best male National Diploma: Engineering: Electrical student. He obtained an average of 87% with 22 distinctions out of 23 subjects in his National Diploma. In addition to that, he received the Eskom Academic Award and has been identified as a recipient of the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship. Iwalda Bezuidenhout was named the best female National Diploma: Engineering: Civil student with an average of 78%. The award for the best male B Tech student was received by Ryno Leander Vosloo. He obtained an average of 83% in Quantity Surveying. The award for the best female B Tech student went to IIze van den Berg (Liebenberg), who obtained an average of 81% in Quantity Surveying. Hector Motau, a motivational speaker, congratulated the recipients and encouraged them to use their skills to the best of their abilities and believe in themselves. “Whether you think you can, or think you cannot, either way you are right.” He emphasised the fact that one is what one thinks. Prof Ben van Wyk, the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, said he was proud of the students and the diligence they had shown throughout their studies. “Excellence is not only about recognising and honouring others; it is also deeply embedded in the hearts of those who evoke it in others by mentoring, supporting, exemplifying and giving back to generations to follow,” he concluded.