Top maths pupil rakes in scholarships
BETHELSDORP resident and Alexander Road High School matric pupil Chadleigh Ownhouse has already raked in tertiary tuition scholarships worth close to R100 000 through his passion for mathematics.
Chadleigh, for a second year in a row, was placed in the top three of his age group at the annual Rhodes University Mathematics Experience (RUME) in Grahamstown last month.
He recently heard that he had scored second overall in the Grade 11 to 12 category after completing a mini-Olympiad (20-question maths competition) during the RUME.
He is no stranger to performing at the RUME competition, as he last year came first in his age group during the mini-Olympiad.
Combining the two years’ scholarship prizes, he has accumulated almost R100 000’s worth of tuition scholarships to study at Rhodes University.
The 16-year-old is also a participant in United Through Sport’s Senior School of Excellence Programme and has been a beneficiary of the programme for the past five years.
At RUME, Ownhouse competed against representatives from around 30 other schools in the Eastern Cape.
“Maths is actually very easy to me. It involves a lot of problem-solving and creative thinking. You have to be innovative in the way you solve the problems,” Chadleigh said.
The gifted pupil has not made up his mind yet on his future career aspirations, but is leaning towards a BSc degree in microbiology.
He is also competing in the South African Maths Olympiad and enjoys advanced programme mathematics as a seventh subject.
When he is not studying, he enjoys playing tennis, squash and chess.