Stirling pupils shine in Olympiad

Two Stirling High School pupils excelled at the 2024 SA Agency for Science & Technology Advancement (SAASTA) science olympiad.

Michael Dowie was the top national achiever in grades 7 to 9 and Matthew Wiseman was the top provincial achiever in grades 10 and 11 and third in the country in the senior category.

Dowie said what drove him was a need to prove something to himself: “To show myself that I am able to succeed to some degree and to, in the end, secure my future in life.

“I did my best to excel and thankfully achieved highly.”

Dowie plans to venture into the health science field.

“I plan on specialising in medicine, though the speciality itself is yet to reveal itself,” he said.

Wiseman said: “For me, the feeling of success after receiving great results on my exams and tests, along with the determination it requires to stay focused throughout my studying, motivates me to do well in my academics.

“I am passionate about biology, so luckily I knew most of the answers.”

He had entered a mathematics olympiad previously and reached the third round. However, this was his first biology olympiad.

“Medicine has always been fascinating to me, and the thought of being able to help someone is amazing,” he said.

“After school, I aim to apply to study medicine and then specialise in surgery further.”

Stirling head of academics Maryke Reed said: “We are very pleased with the impressive success of these two young scientists.

“We try to offer as many academic opportunities beyond the classroom as possible to our pupils to broaden their understanding and to assess themselves against their peers around the country.