Have a balanced life.
This was the common message from the matric class of 2022 at St David's Marist Inanda school in Sandton.
It was a morning filled with smiles, hugs and congratulatory messages exchanged among parents and pupils alike as they arrived to get their results at the school on Wednesday morning.
One of the school's top achievers, Katlego Mokgosi, who scored six distinctions and is also among the top 1% of IEB students in business studies, said his matric year was tough and outside the leadership role he had at school, there was a lot of pressure on him.
He was the deputy head of school in 2022, a member of the SA debating team, and ranked third in the World Schools Debating Championship.
“As an individual, I try to transform spaces that I’m in. I try to make black identity, try to make the St David’s space a safe space for black people and black boys. It was a big thing in my matric year. We had a language festival,” he said.
His proud mother, Sophy said there was a time when she felt like stopping him from participating in the debating team, as it took a lot of his time and she was worried that it might affect his performance at school.
“We (parents) didn’t win by trying to convince him to take a back step on the debating team. He was too passionate about it and reassured us that it would not affect his studies,” she said.
Sophy said she was most proud of her son for making it into the top 1% of IEB students for business studies. “It was an additional subject, meaning that he had to do most of the work on his own. It was self-taught, so we are really proud of this achievement,” she said.
Katlego said whenever he felt he needed clarity or didn’t understand something, he always reached out to his teachers. “They were with me every step of the way, guided me and, ultimately, I was able to get my results,” he said.
He said the support from his parents also helped.
Katlego shared that his father was in hospital during his final examination, and this made it a difficult time.
He plans to study a BCom in law at Wits University. During his spare time, he deejays, is a private chef and a content creator.
“I’m trying to build my brand, and hopefully make money from my name,” he said.
His message to the current matriculants is that they should trust themselves.
“You are capable way more than you know. Trust the system that you are in, trust your school. Your teachers have been in the game for long. They know how to help you. Trust your family, and your parents as they have your best interests at heart.
“Most importantly, school is not everything. Have fun. Have a social life, and make sure you maintain a balance because, at the end of the day, school is about happiness,” he said.
Smiles and hugs all round as IEB matriculants celebrate their results
Image: Belinda Pheto
Have a balanced life.
This was the common message from the matric class of 2022 at St David's Marist Inanda school in Sandton.
It was a morning filled with smiles, hugs and congratulatory messages exchanged among parents and pupils alike as they arrived to get their results at the school on Wednesday morning.
One of the school's top achievers, Katlego Mokgosi, who scored six distinctions and is also among the top 1% of IEB students in business studies, said his matric year was tough and outside the leadership role he had at school, there was a lot of pressure on him.
He was the deputy head of school in 2022, a member of the SA debating team, and ranked third in the World Schools Debating Championship.
“As an individual, I try to transform spaces that I’m in. I try to make black identity, try to make the St David’s space a safe space for black people and black boys. It was a big thing in my matric year. We had a language festival,” he said.
His proud mother, Sophy said there was a time when she felt like stopping him from participating in the debating team, as it took a lot of his time and she was worried that it might affect his performance at school.
“We (parents) didn’t win by trying to convince him to take a back step on the debating team. He was too passionate about it and reassured us that it would not affect his studies,” she said.
Sophy said she was most proud of her son for making it into the top 1% of IEB students for business studies. “It was an additional subject, meaning that he had to do most of the work on his own. It was self-taught, so we are really proud of this achievement,” she said.
Katlego said whenever he felt he needed clarity or didn’t understand something, he always reached out to his teachers. “They were with me every step of the way, guided me and, ultimately, I was able to get my results,” he said.
He said the support from his parents also helped.
Katlego shared that his father was in hospital during his final examination, and this made it a difficult time.
He plans to study a BCom in law at Wits University. During his spare time, he deejays, is a private chef and a content creator.
“I’m trying to build my brand, and hopefully make money from my name,” he said.
His message to the current matriculants is that they should trust themselves.
“You are capable way more than you know. Trust the system that you are in, trust your school. Your teachers have been in the game for long. They know how to help you. Trust your family, and your parents as they have your best interests at heart.
“Most importantly, school is not everything. Have fun. Have a social life, and make sure you maintain a balance because, at the end of the day, school is about happiness,” he said.
Image: Belinda Pheto
Another top achiever, Sebastiano Sampson-Perdomo, said he thanked his parents for his remarkable results as they pushed him from a young age.
He received seven distinctions and is among the top 1% in life sciences.
He credited good planning for his results.
“I think the thing that I always fall back on during exams, is having a structure or having a plan for the months leading to exams, I had my calendars on the wall. I always felt that as long as I had a plan I was calm and at the end of the day, if I delivered on the plan it gave me hope that I would make it,” he said.
Sampson-Perdomo said he was not always a top achiever and believes the Covid-19 lockdown could have helped him improve his marks.
“I started blooming around grade 10. As the lockdown came in, my marks kinda went up. It’s strange, a lot of people's marks dropped. The first couple of months I think lockdown helped me because I spent a lot of time alone. It let me focus properly,” he said.
He plans to study veterinary science at the University of Pretoria this year.
Father Boitumelo Mogoro accompanied his son, Keamogetswe, to fetch his results. He said though his son didn't receive any distinctions, he was proud of his wonderful results.
“He worked hard and we are proud of his marks. He received a bachelor's degree pass,” he said.
Keamogetswe was happy with his results and said his matric year was quite tough.
“I made it through by making sure that I had a balanced life. The gym helped me to be mentally ready. So my advice to other matriculants is to make sure that they just have a balanced life,” he said.
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