By STAFF REPORTER
Two Kingswood College matrics, Catherine Williamson and Taryn-Rae Brown received a full house of distinctions in the 2022 IEB exams.
Williamson, a Makhandan who was Kingswood head girl and Dux Scholar for 2022, achieved an overall average of 93%. She also made the IEB Outstanding Achievements List, awarded to pupils who have ranked in the Top 5% in six or more subjects and who have achieved a rating level of seven in Life Orientation.
She joined Kingswood College in Grade 8 and excelled in the academic, sporting and cultural spheres during her time at Kingswood. She was awarded her Academic Honours in 2021. Over five years at Kingswood, she received Honours for water polo and swimming. She also received her Gold Award for the President’s Award and Cultural Honours for Dramatic Arts. Catherine will work in Cape Town this year until she leaves for America to further her studies and play water polo.
Williamson said Kingswood helped her develop the critical life skill of time management and balancing various aspects of life. “The school helped me to ensure that there is always an equilibrium between having fun, finding joy, and making time for friends and being committed to giving my best in all that I do.”
Taryn-Rae Brown, also a Makhandan, placed in the Top 1% for English Home Language and Life Orientation, while Catherine Williamson made the Top 1% for Dramatic Arts and Geography. Isabella Domingo also placed in the Top 1% for Dramatic Arts.
Brown’s full set of distinctions averaged at 91%. She placed in the top 1% for English Home Language and Life Orientation. Brown started her journey at Kingswood College in the Pre-Primary. She is a keen academic, received her Academic Honours in her Grade 11 year, and achieved her Cultural Honours for debating in 2022. She is also a talented ballroom dancer and received her colours for ballroom dancing last year.
She will attend Rhodes University this year to study Computer Science and Linguistics. Her advice to the Matric Class of 2023: “Be gentle with yourself if you don’t accomplish everything you set out to do. Life is busy, and you are human. You are worth so much more than your external achievements.”
Kingswood College Head Leon Grové said the Kingswood College community was celebrating an outstanding set of results.
“These results are a testament to the hard work, perseverance, encouragement, and resilience of our pupils, teachers, and their families. We are encouraged that our future will be led by young men and women who have learnt the importance of critical thinking, curiosity, and compassion.”
Luke Kelly, from Mazabuko in Zambia, was Kingswood Head Boy for 2022. He received an overall average of 86%. He obtained six distinctions in Accounting, English Home Language, Information Technology, Life Orientation, Mathematics and Physical Science. Luke is a man of varied talents, having achieved his Academic Honours in his Grade 11 year and his Honours for cricket and squash and Colours for hockey. Luke is also an accomplished musician and was in the Top 1% in the International Benchmarking Test for Mathematics in his Grade 11 year.
Luke says that one of the things that Kingswood taught him was “the realisation that everywhere you go, you leave a legacy in the hearts of those around you. What that legacy is, is defined by the impact and positive influence you have when you devote yourself to helping others achieve their potential.”
Carla Bristow from Cathcart achieved an overall average of 82%, receiving distinctions in the following subjects: Afrikaans First Additional Language, English Home Language, Geography, Life Orientation, Life Sciences and Mathematics. Carla achieved her Academic Honours last year, and she approached her studies with an exceptional level of diligence. Carla will be pursuing studies in veterinary science or agronomy this year and says that Kingswood College taught her the importance of friendship and camaraderie – “to stick together and to support one another in the face of adversity”.
Three other learners, Isabella Domingo, Aphiwe Mvunelwa and Adam Young, each achieved five distinctions in their final exams.
Isabella Domingo received five distinctions and has been ranked in the Top 1% in the country for Dramatic Arts. Isabella says that her teachers were instrumental in helping her to prepare for the final examinations: “My teachers were extremely helpful in the run-up to the final examinations. They were able to give us old IEB papers to work through and equipped us with the tools we needed to sit for these exams. It is due to their dedication and vigorous feedback on my preliminary examinations that it made the final exams far less stressful and difficult than I had anticipated.” Isabella will take a working gap year to teach English as a foreign language this year.
Aphiwe Mvunelwa from Port Alfred received five distinctions: Dramatic Arts, Economics, History, isiXhosa First Additional Language and Life Orientation. Aphiwe’s advice to the 2023 Matric Class is to “put in work and work harder than ever before, so you know at the end that you have done your absolute best”.
Adam Young from Makhanda also received five subject distinctions in Engineering Graphics and Design, Information Technology, Mathematics and Advanced Mathematics (Calculus and Algebra). Adam has recently emigrated to Perth, Australia, and will be studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Western Australia. Adam began his Kingswood journey in Grade R at the Kingswood Pre-Primary and achieved his Academic Honours at the start of his Matric year.
Kingswood also recognised the accomplishments of the following learners: Nana Abebreseh, Callum Conradie, Leah Jonas, Anna-Leigh Mackay, Benedict Morrison, Thabo Mosime, Yolo Nxusani, Lara Pinheiro-Figueira and Maatla Sithole, who all achieved three distinctions in their final examinations.
