The ongoing efforts of the teachers at the Soqhayisa Senior Secondary School in Motherwell, Gqeberha, have paid off again as they managed to achieve a fourth consecutive 100% pass rate in the National Senior Certificate examinations.
This was also amplified by the provincial awards presented to three of its learners, Anathi Tshanga, Oviweyo Ngoyi, and Liyabona Hloyi, for their outstanding performances in the exams.
"The teachers played such an important role in ensuring that we reach our full potential. They constantly motivated us and told us how much they believed in us," said Tshanga.
The young man will be pursuing studies in medicine at the University of Pretoria with his passion for health care stemming from a less joyful time in his life when he lost his father and grandmother during his grade 11 year.
"My father and grandmother died due to untreated illnesses and from then, I told myself that I want to study medicine."
Before he joined the winning culture at Soqhayisa, he was enrolled at Khumbulani High School in Walmer township and said he "encountered" Soqhayisa High School through an after-school program.
"I started at the school in the third term of my grade 11 year and it honestly the best decision I have ever made."
Tshanga said he "hit the ground running" and was soon among the school's top-performing learners.
However, his story is not too different from other learners who despite all the adversities, were able to succeed.
After deciding to enrol at Soqhayisa, Tshanga said he had to move from Walmer Township to Motherwell due to transport difficulties, to stay with his maternal grandmother.
"I constantly had to remind myself that I have to work hard to secure a bursary for university because my mother does not have the financial means to pay for tuition fees." He finally reaped what he sowed and was awarded a bursary for the duration of his studies.
His classmate and friend Oviweyo Ngoyi also secured a bursary to fund his studies in Actuarial Sciences at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
He echoed his friend's words and said that because of the determination and passion of his teachers, he knew that he had to do all he could to ensure that he got good results. "I have been among the top learners since grade 10 so the pressure was there, but I turned that pressure into motivation and that brought me to where I am today."
The days leading up to the invitation to the awards were stressful for the two young men. "I thought that I wasn't invited to the awards until we received a message from our science teacher asking that we please go to school. "It did occur to us that it might be the invitation to the awards but we kept space for disappointment."
The meeting at the school brought good news for the two youths. "We cannot wait to go to university and explore the limitless opportunities the future has in store for us."
