Achievers vie for top spot
Three headboys and prefect all aiming to scoop big matric prize
IN a week’s time, the winner of The Herald Continental Matric of the Year will be crowned and the last four hopefuls all believe they are in with a chance of scooping the big prize. The top 20 finalists will meet at a gala dinner at The Athenaeum next Friday where the overall winner will be announced and awarded a fouryear bursary to study any course of their choice at NMMU.
The last group profiled comprises Westering High School prefect Achish Sam, 17, Kirkwood High School headboy Gerhard Krause, 17, Uitenhage High School headboy Keenan Nelson, 18, and Grey High School headboy Michael de Marco, 18.
Achish, an aspiring saxophone player and dancer, placed first in the Eastern Cape for all instruments for grades 7 and 8 in the Trinity College London exams last year.
He has also been a member of the Eastern Cape Philharmonic Youth Wind Band since 2011 as first alto saxophone.
In addition, he is the only high school pupil in the NMMU Madibaz Band.
Last year, he passed the South African Dance Teachers Association social dance test for cha cha, rumba and jive.
He was awarded the school’s highest achievement last year – The Lantern Award given to pupils who excel in all spheres of schooling life. All this while maintaining an A aggregate this year.
Kirkwood High’s Gerhard is ranked second on both the national schools’ tennis and squash rankings.
He has been number one in his grade since Grade 4, achieving academic honours annually since 2011 by maintaining an A aggregate.
He is also the leader of the United Christian Student Association, the school’s tenor choir and chair of the school’s community involvement project which saw pupils clean up and recycle rubbish collected in Kirkwood – all of which occurred earlier this year.
First team cricket, soccer and quiz captain Keenan is coordinator of Uitenhage High’s Interact, Christian Leaders and Eco-LTD clubs.
The youngster said he enjoyed volunteering his time at Rosa Munch Old Age Home and Uitenhage Provincial Hospital when he is not studying to maintain his A aggregate.
The kind-hearted teen has also been involved in a number of outreach projects including the Save the Rhino project, organising donations for Child Welfare SA, and the Rape and Crisis Centre, and earned his school Green Flag status from the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa.
After making the provincial team for water polo from 2010 to 2012, Grey High’s Michael shifted his focus to rugby where he continued to excel, qualifying for the provincial rugby team in 2010, 2013, 2014 and this year.
The headboy is head of his school house and first rugby team as well as a member of cadets and the Grey Union community service committee.
Despite his crammed schedule he acquired an aggregate of 79% in June.