Hard work did more than earn 18-year-old Amy-Rose Westcott full marks in her final mathematics exam - it put her name on the world map.
Westcott, a former student of Bay College in Plettenberg Bay, was recently named the world's top achiever in the Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary levels maths exams last year.
Now a computer science student at the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, she said she can't quite grasp her achievement.
"The news hasn't sunk in yet. It's a great reward for a lot of hard work," she said with a giggle.
Described as a "straight A" student by her former teachers and family, Westcott also got distinctions in English, Afrikaans, biology, chemistry and geography.
In her spare time she reads, plays the piano, cello, violin and guitar.
She will receive the award at Alma Mater Akademie in Krugersdorp on July 30.
According to Cambridge schools, the advanced subsidiary syllabus is intended for high-ability students who have achieved, or are likely to achieve, a high grade in the exam.
Cambridge senior schools development manager for sub-Saharan Africa, Mark Barber, said the advanced exam and A levels were regarded as a passport to success in education and life.
"Students develop a deep understanding of subjects, independent learning and constructive thinking skills so important to universities and beyond," Barber said.
There are more than 10 000 Cambridge schools in more than 100 countries, including the US, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, India, Egypt and China.
Westcott - whose favourite subject was biology - beat more than 69000 students in last year's maths examination. Of the 69257 students from 127 countries who wrote, Westcott was the only one who obtained 100% in the exam.
She follows in the footsteps of Kurt Coetzer, 19, who also scored 100% in the same exam in 2012, beating more than 65 000 students from all over the world.
Coetzer, an electrical and electronic engineering student at Stellenbosch University, said the Cambridge syllabus provided a solid foundation for his studies.
"I grew up with a love for maths. I was taught to understand topics better and put them together. This prevented feeling overwhelmed at tertiary level," he said.
The pair form part of Bay College's pride and joy, with head-master David Butler describing the "odds" of their achievement as an "affirmation".
Grade 9 to 12 maths teacher Susan Donald said: "Maths is not about memorising formulae, but rather about asking questions to get to answers."
