Orange Farm learners aces matric
“I stay with my mother, grandmother, and my little sister who were all supportive throughout my high school years and always encouraged me to study.”
ORANGE FARM.- “Keep your mind focused on what you want most”
This is the mantra Engen Maths and Science School learner, Mandisa Lerato Penelope Booi lives by, which propelled her to an impressive set of matric results.
“This saying has always encouraged me to believe that I can achieve anything, as long as I put my mind to it,” says Mandisa, who notched up an impressive 4 distinctions for matric, including 92% for mathematics and 90% for science.
An alumnus of Leshata Secondary School in Orange Farm, Mandisa harbours dreams of qualifying as an Actuary in the future but is taking a gap year in 2023 to spend time tutoring learners from her school.
She also plans to secure a learnership or internship to gain some life experience and mature as a person.
“By doing that, I believe I will be able to discover more about myself and my interests and better prepare myself for varsity life,” she adds.
Reflecting on a tough 2022, with an intense workload brought on by having to balance all 7 subjects equally, Mandisa says there was a lot of pressure from her family and teachers, and she was scared to disappoint them and herself. She also found it hard to adjust to adult life. I had a major growth spurt and seemed to grow overnight.
“Initially I was bullied for being too tall, but I overcame all that and love myself the way I am,” says Mandisa.
And her advice for the matric class of 2022?
“Study smart! Try to find the best study method for yourself and don’t wait to study on the last night before your exam day.”
Mandisa, who loves to read during her downtime, has high praise for her family for their unwavering encouragement.
But it was the Engen Maths and Science School supplementary classes on Saturdays, says Mandisa, that provided her with crucial insights in Maths, Physical Science, and English that, “really assisted me to reach my full potential.”
“These extra lessons from grade 10-12 taught me the best study techniques and the teachers are very knowledgeable and helpful. Especially in grade 11 because there were so many missed school days due to Covid but the EMSS program really filled in the gaps and tried to cover everything. I grasped new concepts that I did not understand at school, whilst also revising concepts that I had already learned at school.”
The Engen Maths and Science Schools have run for over 35 years, and offer underprivileged grade 10-12 learners free supplementary Maths, Science, and English tuition on Saturdays at ten locations across South Africa.
