Jeppe High School for Boys learner Daniel Moffett earned six distinctions in the matric exams at the end of last year.
He did it while being fully involved in a wide range of extra-mural activities throughout his time at the school.
To do that, keeping the right balance and managing his time effectively, was the key, and Moffett obviously did that very well.
“I think the secret of my success is twofold,” he said.
“I’ve always pushed myself and always tried to go beyond my limits. I’ve been driven to get these results and I worked very hard at it. At the same time, I think, I was in an environment that was good for me. There were four of us in my grade who worked together over the years. We encouraged each other, motivated each other and helped each other out in the subjects we were struggling with. Everyone thought differently and we had different strengths and it all came together and all of us got good marks in the end.”
Moffett became aware of Jeppe through playing in the primary schools cricket festival while he was at Colin Mann Primary.
“We played here twice and I was determined to attend the school, and my parents wanted me to as well.”
He was offered a fee reduction bursary on the basis of his academic and sporting achievements and decided from the beginning that he was going to take full advantage of the holistic education that Jeppe offers.
Cricket is his favourite sport and he played it every year throughout his high school career.
“I realised early on that the standard was high and that I was never going to make the A team, but I loved playing. I made friends, met new people and kept active.”
That wasn’t the only thing he did.
He played hockey for five years, in the lower teams, and was also involved in debating and drama.
“Looking back, the highlights of my five years at Jeppe are less about personal experiences than they are about the sense of belonging I got. Watching the first team play and singing in the stands, and playing cricket and hockey with my friends. Those are the things that will remain etched in my memory.”
His parents played an important support role in his education, Moffett believes.
“My mother instilled discipline in me from an early age and both she and my father would never accept me slacking off. They were always available to help when I asked them to. I found, however, that I was my own harshest critic and my dad’s role was often to tell me not to be too hard on myself.”
Moffett’s father is a mechanical engineer, and so was his grandfather, so it’s not surprising that he will be going to Wits next year to study mechanical engineering.
“I grew up in an environment in which there was always an interest in how things work, and I developed a love for maths and science, so I guess I was always going to go that way,” he said.
