For Stellenbosch University (SU) alumnus Lloyd Phillips, Youth Day has always carried personal meaning. Born on 16 June 2002, he marks his birthday on the day South Africans commemorate the courage and sacrifice of the youth of 1976.

“For me, the main takeaway from Youth Day is how the youth made a stand and fought against what was wrong. It says a lot about the power we have as young people, which we sometimes forget,” he says.

Lloyd’s decision to study at Maties was shaped by academic interest and the appeal of Stellenbosch as a student-centred town. Although he grew up just 30 minutes away in Franschhoek, he chose to live in Huis Marais for the full residence life experience.

“I can still remember driving through Stellenbosch and seeing all the students practicing for Vensters. I really wanted that to be me one day,” he says.

Mathematics was the subject he loved most at school, and in matric, that passion earned him the Bridge House Broker Mathematics Award. A BCom Mathematical Sciences degree felt like the logical next step, even though he admits he had “no idea what it really entailed” or where it could lead.

In his second year, he discovered Financial Risk Management and later completed his BCom Honours in the field cum laude.

One of the most poignant aspects of Lloyd’s journey is the unexpected link between his career in financial risk management and that of his late father, who passed away when he was three years old.

“I always assumed that kids end up doing what their parents do because they are nurtured in that direction, so it was crazy to realise that somehow I ended up in the same field as my dad,” says a proud Lloyd.

At university, he immersed himself in his studies, student life, and sport, serving as captain of the residence’s first hockey team, and playing for the Maties and the Franschhoek Dragons hockey clubs. He also joined the Toastmasters International Stellenbosch Club and the University of Stellenbosch Investment Society.

“Toastmasters helped me build confidence for interviews and improved my networking and presentation skills for the workplace.”

Although Lloyd was excelling, his mental health was declining as he struggled with one of his most demanding modules – his first truly challenging academic experience.

By the end of his second year, he saw a psychologist.

“While it started with the academic stress, it allowed me to get into deeper things, like my dad passing away and not feeling good enough. By the time I got to honours, which was by far the most demanding year in terms of workload, I was a lot more relaxed.”

This shaped his approach to his role as Vice Head Mentor at Huis Marais in 2023, particularly in helping first-years navigate academic pressures and mental health challenges.

“I told my mentees from the start where they could go for emotional support, so they didn’t have to ask when they already felt desperate. For me, sharing that information openly is part of breaking the stigma around mental health.”

In 2025, he was accepted into Standard Bank South Africa’s Personal and Private Banking Risk Graduate Programme, rotating through the Personal Loans Portfolio, Capital and Impairments Modelling, and Data Science teams. 

“It helped me gain a well-rounded understanding of the end-to-end credit lifecycle”.

Today, Lloyd works as a quantitative analyst in the bank’s Capital and Impairments Modelling team, focusing on “developing and maintaining the regulatory capital models for all the credit portfolios”.

“My role involves applying statistical techniques to ensure accurate credit risk provisioning and supporting stakeholders with reporting and insights that guide financial decision-making.”

For students preparing for the world of work, Lloyd stresses the importance of a polished CV, professional LinkedIn profile and applying early for graduate programmes.

His advice to students is practical: “Always seek help when you need it, whether it has to do with your mental health or academics. Speak to tutors, older students and alumni to understand what to prioritise professionally and academically. Working hard is important, but working hard on the wrong things can still lead to poor results.”