Some pupils triumph in matric against all odds, from one of SA's top 23 matriculants to 'twins' who scored five As each 1) RARE ILLNESS DIDN'T HOLD HIM BACKBefore becoming South Africa's top matriculant for 2015, Andrew Tucker spent a good part of last year using crayons to fill in children's colouring books.Diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome in February, he could not open a tube of toothpaste, let alone hold a pen.But, despite being hospitalised and needing nearly five months to recover, Tucker, 18, went on to score seven distinctions in his final exams.His academic results were not the first thing Tucker thought about when he was told he had a life-threatening autoimmune disease. The South African College High School pupil from Noordhoek on the Cape Peninsula was more disappointed that he would not be able to compete in athletics.Over his years at Sacs - he started there in Grade 1 - he had developed a passion for running and had hoped to compete in the triangular meeting with Rondebosch Boys and Bishops, where he expected to finish in the 1500m medals."I became sick a few weeks before, so those dreams were crushed," said Tucker. "It was very frustrating for me."It was on an athletics track that he had experienced his first symptoms, feeling his legs buckle during a race."Guillain-Barré is very rare but doctors think it can be triggered by a respiratory infection," said Tucker. "It attacks your peripheral nervous system, which are your nerve cells in your limbs specifically, and causes muscle weakness. That took away my fine motor skills and I couldn't write or even tear open a packet of chips."He was sent home after five nights in hospital and continued his rehabilitation through physiotherapy and occupational therapy - and the colouring.Determined not to let his illness take away all the highlights of his final year at school, Tucker attended his matric dance less than a month after his diagnosis, even though it meant his date had to cut up his food for him. After studying at home he returned to the top of his grade - where he had been since Grade 4 - after the midyear exams.Tucker has been offered a scholarship to study at the University of Cape Town. "I was leaning towards business, but after being treated by the neurologist I realised I want to go into medicine to help people the way he helped me," he said. - Farren Collinsfull_story_image_hleft12) MATCHING A-GRADES FOR LUCKY 'TWINS'When his mother died, Lukhanyiso Mzimela's world came crashing down. She had sacrificed so much to enrol him at a private school, and he had no clue how his studies would continue after that.But then his friend's parents opened their home and hearts to him - and this week, both boys did them proud by passing their matric, each scoring five As.story_article_left1Mzimela met Dumisa Nzama in Grade 4 at Eden College in Durban, but then they switched schools and lost contact. In Grade 9 , the two boys became friendly again while enrolled at Crawford College.Mzimela's mother died two years later and it was during the funeral that Nzama' s mother , Gawu, decided to "adopt" him."I didn't know what would become of my life without my mother. My world came crashing down. I was worried about school and many other things," said Mzimela.Until then the two boys had never dreamt of sharing a home, or having the same "parents" to help them through school."They're our makeshift twins," said Gawu. Elliot, her husband, added: "When my wife told me about Lukhanyiso's situation I could read her mind ... and I said yes."But the Nzamas, who live in La Lucia, north of Durban, could only afford to provide Mzimela with a home."We could not afford to pay for his school fees," said Gawu. She convinced Crawford College executives and owners Advtech to offer Mzimela a 100% scholarship for his Grade 11 and 12 studies."He deserved a scholarship; he is hard-working and was an active student at the school. Changing schools was not an option," she said.Mzimela's father died when he was three years old."When my dad died, I had to live with my grandmother in Mandeni so that my mother could look for work in Durban."My mother did everything to make sure that I went to a good school. She was my everything," he said.He could not imagine his life without the Nzamas. "I am so grateful for what they have done for me."The two friends might part ways once again this year as Mzimela plans to head to the University of Johannesburg to study accounting, while Nzama intends enrolling at Stellenbosch University to pursue a career in medicine.- Nompumelelo Magwazafull_story_image_hleft23) FIRST STEP TO CHANGING THE WORLDAfter scoring 100% in physical science and being named one of South Africa's top 23 matriculants, Namhla Juqu is planning how to change the world.The first steps are mapped out in her mind: a chemical engineering degree at the University of Cape Town, a master's at Stanford University in California, an MBA.Then? "People often come up with great ideas while doing research, but you don't see those ideas going into the market and creating business opportunities," said Juqu."My angle with science is how I can apply it while at the same time contributing to the improvement of the economy and addressing other problems."I think chemical engineering will help me put all of these ideologies into action because that degree helps you have an understanding in things."The 18-year-old from Cape Town registered seven distinctions, including 99% for maths.Attending the Centre of Science and Technology in Khayelitsha, she was introduced to Newton's laws in Grade 8. "We discussed science and would often go off the syllabus because a topic was interesting."That really is where my love for science started. Maths and science are not only subjects but languages to understand the world," said Juqu, the youngest of four children.Her mother, Bongiwe, has been a domestic worker for 16 years, while her father, David, transports children to school.They often had financial difficulties and would sometimes have to borrow money from neighbours to get her to school.But Juqu's biggest challenge was living in a township while trying to broaden her mind."I think I'm quite optimistic, though, so I tend to overlook challenges and see them as learning experiences. We also live in a community with a lot of violence, but those things motivated me to work harder." - Farren Collinsfull_story_image_hright24) WHEN ONLY PERFECTION WILL DOErnest Molelle once heard someone say that people are not perfect. He will always try to prove them wrong, he says - by working hard and achieving his absolute best.The 18-year-old and the rest of his classmates made a habit of arriving at Reiger Park Secondary School at 6am - so that they could cram in some extra work before day officially began.story_article_left3This week Molelle, who lives with his aunt in Ramaphosa township near Boksburg on Gauteng's East Rand, could pride himself on distinctions in seven out of his eight subjects (he did economics and business studies as self-study subjects).He obtained 100% for physical science - making him the top student in this subject in the entire province of Gauteng.Molelle has been accepted to study actuarial science at the University of Cape Town and hopes to secure a bursary or funding to help him achieve his dreams.One of them is to get his aunt, Agnes Molelle, out of the township. She took him in after his mother died and raised him with her own two children.Aunt Agnes beamed with pride this week. She has every reason to believe that Molelle will be able to keep his promise to buy her a house one day.Molelle's maths teacher, Raymond Kemayou, said he was a "very gifted" pupil. The principal of Reiger Park Secondary, Gregory Fisch, said Molelle had done his school and the entire community proud.In a place where there is often despair, Molelle brought hope."I used to ask myself why there isn't anyone from Reiger Park who is a billionaire or doing something great," Molelle said."And the answer hit me: I am that somebody - that somebody who has the potential to achieve." - Pericles Anetos..