More of our Matric of the Year finalists

Five of the finalists for The Herald Matric of the Year competition say they are ready to claim the accolade using their knowledge, talent and generous hearts to get them there.

On Thursday, we profiled five of the 10 finalists and the second batch of bright sparks now get their turn.

They are Jada Freeman, 18, of Stirling High School in East London, Julie-Ann Zeta Potgieter, 18, of Collegiate Girls’ High School in Parsons Hill, Marcell Muller, 18, of Pearson High School in Summerstrand, as well as Ricky King, 18, and Sachin Naidoo, 18, both of Grey High School.

The five overachievers are not only prefects at their respective schools, but part of various councils and organisations such as Interact, the Representative Council of Learners and the Junior City Council.

All 10 finalists in the prestigious 2019 competition stand a good chance of taking the title at the awards ceremony to be held at Savages Fine Food Restaurant on October 18.

The awards were launched in 1993, and have become a sought-after accolade open to matric pupils from the Eastern and Southern Cape.

Four of the 10 finalists will be selected to take up the special category awards on the night, namely academic, sport, culture and community work.

A special Excellence Award will be awarded to a deserving matric pupil who excels despite his or her previously disadvantaged background.

The sixth and final prize is allocated to the overall winner of the Matric of the Year title.

A cash prize will be up for grabs for the overall and excellence award winners, with the R50,000 prize to be shared between them.

Besides the cash prize, finalists and the overall winner will receive prizes valued at more than R100,000.

Trailblazing Sachin is also a team player

Sachin Naidoo is a school prefect, Junior City Council deputy mayor, head prefect of his house, student officer in cadet detachment, Grey Union and debating society chair, and editor of Grey Matter.

“I love working with people and working together to reach a common goal,” he said.

Sachin is deputy chair of the Quiz Club, a community service committee member and vice-captain of the cross-country team.

He has ranked first in his grade for nine terms and was in the top two for 17 terms, receiving full academic colours in 2018 and re-awards in 2019.

He earned eight subject awards and an Accelerated Mathematics Programme distinction.

Sachin won bronze for duathlon at the recent NMU East Cape meeting, was a series winner of the Big O Autumn Trail Series 5km event 2017 and 2018, and the Big O Night Race held at Cape Recife.

He placed ninth overall at the Ironman 5150 Funtri triathlon in 2018.

He won Reporter of the Year and Best Debater trophies in 2018, and has full colours for debating.

He won the grade 11 East London Old Grey prize for helpfulness, usefulness and kindness.

‘You’ll always excel in what you love’ – Jada

Headgirl Jada Freeman has a holistic approach to life, and gives her all to whatever she finds interesting.

“My love and passion for academics, sports and culture is what drives me, and excelling is like a byproduct of it,” she said.

Jada is a member of the Interact Club, 21 Club, a group of top 10 pupils in grades 11 and 12, and the matric dance committee.

She is the U19 Border badminton captain and U17 provincial badminton captain.

With an aggregate of 89.2%, Jada has ranked in the top three since grade 8, receiving academic honours from grade 10-12, and a cum laude honours blazer for academia in 2018.

She has won subject prizes in maths, science, economics and accounting.

In 2017 and 2018, she placed third in SA at the Saipa National Accounting Olympiad, and third in 2018 at the District Economics Quiz.

She is a first-team netball and badminton player, and has made the provincial badminton team over several consecutive years.

Jada plays bass guitar, is a Stirling High Jazz Band member and helps the Children’s Ministry.

Being there for others is Julie-Ann’s passion

Julie-Ann Zeta Potgieter, 18, of Collegiate Girls’ High School in Parsons Hill has a passion for helping others, saying she loves seeing people succeed.

“I love making an impact in the lives of others, whether it be big or small, and this is why I want to be a medical doctor,” she said.

A prefect and house captain, she was a Representative Council of Learners class leader from 2015 to 2017, and has been on the Interact board since 2017.

With an 89% aggregate, she has been awarded a scroll, silver bar and honours blazer for academic excellence, and was re-awarded with an honours blazer for academics in 2019.

She plays indoor provincial hockey, and played in the PSI National Championships in Cape Town and Durban in 2015 and 2017.

She founded the Care Bear Project which distributes soft toys to needy children, and, through the Homework Helper Project, helps Parson Hill Primary pupils with their homework once a week.

She has done more than 200 hours of community service throughout high school, and has received her grade 4, 5 and 6 in music from Trinity College London.

Music and maths excite allrounder Marcell

Marcell Muller is an allrounder who particularly excels in, and loves, mathematics and music.

He is a prefect, house prefect and band leader and serves as deputy president of the Pearson Gentleman’s Club.

Marcell is also the director of the Interact and secretary of Pearson Hands of Hope.

With an above-80% aggregate, he has been in the top 20 in his grade since grade 10, and received academic honours in 2017 and 2018.

In 2017, Pearson awarded him the Bouwer Award in recognition of involvement and achievement in all spheres of school life.

He was nominated as a top senior sportsman in 2018 and received the victor ludorum award.

Marcell received honours for swimming for three consecutive years and has been the EP team’s swimming captain since 2015.

In 2015, he received a distinction for his grade 5 Royal Schools of Music international theory exam, and in 2018 a distinction for the grade 8 Trinity international practical piano exam.

In 2018, he received a colours award for Jazz Band and completed the Toastmasters course.

Hockey, history lover Ricky a natural leader

Ricky King says his love for people is what makes him a good leader.

He is deputy headboy at his school and head of his school house.

He is also head of the Representative Council of Learners and deputy editor of his school publication, Grey Matter.

He serves as the deputy head of Grey Union, is a student officer in the cadets and a Grey Pulse committee member.

He obtained full colours in 2018 and 2019 for being one of the top 10 pupils in his grade.

He has also won subject awards in history and accounting.

Ricky said his favourite subject was history, adding that the way the subject assisted in writing was something he could use going forward.

He received full colours for water polo and hockey in 2018 and 2019, full colours for swimming in 2018, and was named Most Promising Hockey Player in 2017.

Ricky played for the U17 and U18 SA hockey team in 2018 and 2019, and was part of the 2017 SA High Performance Hockey Squad.

Here are the first five finalists: