St Benedict’s College learner shoots the lights out in matric 2022 results
Keeping his goals in mind and celebrating small victories motivated him to keep pushing.
St Benedict’s College matriculant, Thashil Mistry, earned a remarkable record by obtaining 10 distinctions and top achiever recognition at the school with a 92.9% average.
The Bassonia resident’s resilience, perseverance and grit must be congratulated because his matric journey was a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs.
It was a year filled with many struggles, successes and, most of all, learning from failures. He was in the top 1% nationally for English, Afrikaans, information technology and life orientation and earned 96% for maths.
A roller-coaster ride
“The beginning of the year was a balancing act of how to manage my time. It brought the biggest struggles for me having to learn how to balance my personal life with my schooling, which included various leadership roles and my academics, cultural and sporting commitments.
“Looking after my mental and physical health took a lot of effort and required me to learn how to prioritise. I worked hard leading up to and during my final exams and gave it my best shot. I am extremely proud of the outcome.
“With the 10 subjects I did, I was able to find a balance with the help of support structures in place within the school. With the guidance of my parents and educators, I was able to navigate the hurdles I faced.
“Learning how to ask for help and focus on one task at a time allowed me to succeed. Most of all, taking time out for myself and prioritising only what was manageable helped the most.”
Thashil emphasised that keeping his goals in mind and celebrating small victories motivated him to keep pushing.
“Working consistently throughout the year and making sure that my notes were done ahead of time and organised before approaching exams was greatly beneficial. Attending tuts and extra lessons regularly, regardless of whether they were required, ensured that I was revising all the time, which was advantageous in the long run,” said Thashil.
Plans for Thashil and advice
He plans to attend a university in South Africa to study medicine.
“I hope to attend the University of Cape Town, where I will become more independent and confident in myself.”
Thashil advises this year’s matriculants to enjoy their matric year but not to fall into the trap of not realising the reality of a deadline.
“Prelims and finals creep up on you, so make sure you prepare ahead of time.”
Thashil added that he is grateful to all of the St Benedict’s staff who impacted his life, directly or indirectly.
“If it were not for them, I would not have achieved what I have today. I am most grateful to my parents, sister and family for their continuous support and motivation, which kept me going through the tough times,” said Thashil.
“I am enjoying the long-awaited break after a stressful year and also waiting for my university of choice, UCT, to accept me so that I can study medicine,” explained Thashil.
Proud parents
Jayesh and Bharti Mistry said, “This achievement is truly our son’s own hard work and effort.”
The parents said that all they did was support him on his journey and advise him about his challenges.
“We are over the moon about this and can not wait to see what the future holds,” said the parents.
