{"id":918292,"date":"2022-01-21T11:33:02","date_gmt":"2022-01-21T11:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/news\/2022\/01\/21\/meet-kzns-top-five-matrics\/"},"modified":"2022-01-21T11:33:02","modified_gmt":"2022-01-21T11:33:02","slug":"meet-kzns-top-five-matrics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/01\/21\/meet-kzns-top-five-matrics\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet KZN\u2019s top five matrics"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div><!--sse--><\/p>\n<p>From mathematics to stem cell research, mechanical engineering to medicine, KZNs top matrics are ready to reach for the stars.<\/p>\n<p>As KZN premier Sihle Zikalala, along with Education MEC MEC Kwazi Mshengu and Durban mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, revealed the top ten matrics at a function at the Anton Lembede Mathematics &amp; Science Academy in La Mercy on Friday, the successful candidates tell a story of hard work and dedication against the odds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>This year\u2019s top matriculant is Cade Sayner, from Kingsway High School in Amanzimtoti. His recipe for success is a lot of hard work. \u201cIt\u2019s a cliche, I know, but spending the time doing past papers pays and burning the midnight oil pays off. I drank way too much coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sayner aims to study computer science and mathematics either at UFS or UCT.<\/p>\n<p>It has been a stressful year, says Sayner, who missed some trials because he had Covid. \u201cI had to rewrite. It was super stressful. I can see how Covid has affected so many people.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\u201cI have to credit my parents and my sister, who had written matric. She gave me advice and was a lifeline. And my teachers were stone pillars in my education,\u201d said Sayner, who also went to Toti Primary School.<\/p>\n<p>Sport too played a role, with Sayner scooping awards for cricket and waterpolo. \u201cIt\u2019s important to keep a balance. Physical activity helps clear the mind,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"baobab-embedded-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/72414954-f834-5881-822f-04273659f88c&#038;operation=CROP&#038;offset=0x0&#038;resize=640x352.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"610\"><figcaption>Iman Khan from Port Shepstone Secondary wants to get involved in stem cell research.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Second was Iman Khan from Port Shepstone Secondary who plans to study medicine at UCT.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>She credits her success to being consistent, confident and her hard work. That, and the support of her parents. The star performer wants to end up at the cutting edge of medicine. \u201cI want to go into genetic research. I think about how much we don\u2019t know and how there is so much more to discover in the field of stem cell research and auto immune diseases,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>Number three on the list  of top achievers was Nosipho Mdlalose from Bethamoya High School in Madadeni, Newcastle, who unfortunately was not at the Premier\u2019s function.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"baobab-embedded-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/42567bda-0726-54a0-8b7b-342fd57838a8&#038;operation=CROP&#038;offset=0x0&#038;resize=1280x960.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"610\"><figcaption>Joint fourth were Danica Govender from Westville Girls\u2019 and Samir Rughbeer from Westville Boys\u2019. Picture: Tanya Waterworth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Joint fourth were Danica Govender from Westville Girls\u2019 High School and Samir Rughbeer from Westville Boys\u2019 High School.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Govender, who scored 8 distinctions including Advanced Maths, said it was a very difficult year with the deaths of two close family members. The pandemic and the rioting in July all added to stress loads.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just pushed through and made it work. Having a balanced lifestyle is very important; I made sure I had time with my family to destress,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>She intends studying medicine at UCT.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Rughbeer scored seven distinctions and will study mechanical engineering this year. \u201cThis year was a lot tougher than Grade 11 and I started to feel the stress and wanted to meet the expectations of all around me,\u201d he said. \u201cI relied a lot on my friends. They were my anchors. It\u2019s important to surround yourself with people who support you.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"baobab-embedded-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/a23e4d29-a541-5432-acac-368629f0b020&#038;operation=CROP&#038;offset=0x0&#038;resize=1280x960.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"610\"><figcaption>Port Shepstone High School\u2019s Dev Anilkumar with his family, from left, his cousin Manu, mother Geetha, father Anil and younger sister Devananda. Picture: Tanya Waterworth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Number 5 was Dev Anilkumar of Port Shepstone High School. With 7 distinctions, he is going to study medicine at UCT and his favourite subject is maths. \u201cIt has been a very difficult year but with the help of teachers and family, I was confident I would be able to succeed,\u201d he said. His recipe for success is time management. \u201cAlways take breaks and plan ahead, revising your work as you go,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Number 6 was Kial Parmanand from Kharina School, Umgungundlovo, with wasMhlengi Shange seventh from Menzi high School in Umlazi, Eli Jordon Govender eight of Northwood High School and Neha Ramjuan of Kingsway high School completing the ten.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><strong id=\"strong-033aa4ef7a34d0172c06eaa2af2d2ca3\">The Independent on Saturday<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!--\/sse--><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From mathematics to stem cell research, mechanical engineering to medicine, KZNs top matrics are ready to reach for the stars. As KZN premier Sihle Zikalala, along with Education MEC MEC Kwazi Mshengu and Durban mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, revealed the top ten matrics at a function at the Anton Lembede Mathematics &amp; Science Academy in La [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-918292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-headlines"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/918292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=918292"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/918292\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=918292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=918292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=918292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}