Sinegugu Shange

THE future looks bright for Pinetown Girls’ High Schoo l “nerd” Sinegugu Shange, after she aced all her Grade 11 subjects last year.

Sinegugu, 16, of Caversham Glen in Pinetown, scored distinctions in seven subjects, including maths and physics.

She has committed herself to working extra hard this year. To achieve this, she has already made a start on her Grade 12 studies.

Although she applied to the Gordon Institute for Business last year, her ambition is to work in the maledominated field of engineering.

“I would like to venture into civil, if not mechanical, engineering because designing memorable things is what I always dream about.

“Getting 100 percent results in my studies last year made me very proud. I give credit to my friends – they are a brilliant bunch of girls who help keep my mind stimulated,” she said.

Another inspiration came from her 22-year-old sister, Nokukhanya, who is in her third year of studying medicine at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

She said she supported the #FeesMustFall campaign because most students were poor and could not afford to pay high fees for tertiary study.

Sinegugu said that a fee increase this year would have been a disaster for those who cannot afford to pay. But those who could afford them should pay, she said.

Sashin Moodley

OBTAINING four distinctions in Grade 9 has m o t iv a t e d Sashin Moodley to reach for the stars this year.

It’s a daunting year for the 15-year-old as he takes on a new challenge and pursues subjects that will ultimately help him reach his goal of becoming an accountant.

Sashin, who is a pupil at Stanmore Secondary School in Phoenix, said his good results last year were the result of hard work and many hours of study.

“I spent certain days studying different subjects. I usually prepared a week before exams started and slowly got into the swing of things.

“I must admit that the tireless assistance from my teachers and my mom helped me stay on track and persevere.

“I want to keep up the same pace, especially when entering Grade 10. This is the year I have chosen my own subjects, including accounting, business studies and economics,” he said.

To be properly prepared, he would be attending extra classes.

When he is finished with school in 2018, he will apply for a bursary to study accounting at a university in Durban.

With regard to the #FeesMustFall campaign, Moodley has mixed feelings.

“I do not believe protesting is the answer, and I also do not believe that fees should increase drastically either.

“There should be some resolution for both students and the Department of Higher Education when these issues arise. I believe discussions around a table would help tremendously,” he said.

Thomas Earle

THOMAS Earle is a h i g h - f lye r and this year plans to keep on flying by achieving top marks at school. Last year, he obtained a 91 percent aggregate and was placed eighth in his Grade 9 class at Westville Boys’ High School.

He wants a balanced life this year, but will focus most of his attention on performing well academically. Although he loves sport, he believes this is a crucial time in his school career because he has just entered Grade 10 and chosen his strongest subjects.

“I was happy with my results because they were on a par with my results the year before. However, I am going to work hard this year so that I can maintain my position in the top 10 in my class,” he said.

Thomas loves maths and science, and therefore wants to pursue a career in engineering once he finishes school. He has his mind set on studying at Stellenbosch.

Thomas sympathises with the thousands of students who have difficulty paying their university fees and says that he is fully supportive of the #FeesMustFall campaign.

“It was very satisfying to see the public take on the government and emerge victorious.

“I am glad there was no increase in fees for 2016. Taxpayers’ money is being stolen thanks to corruption within the government.

“Maybe if there was less