Durban - When Eune Bosch heard she was one of the country’s top achievers in the 2016 matric exams, she thought it was a mistake.
“I was shocked, I was never aiming for this,” the 18-year-old from Hoërskool Pionier, in Vryheid, said on Wednesday.
But it was no mistake, Eune was recognised for placing second in the quintile 4 schools category at the Department of Education’s awards in Gauteng on Wednesday.
She was awarded a laptop, a printer, a tablet and cellphones.
Eune achieved eight distinctions, and said the matric year had been tough but not as difficult as she had feared. “Whenever I was feeling overwhelmed, I would go for a jog or a swim,” she said.
She was also a prefect and took part in hockey and triathlon last year.
She is heading to the Western Cape to study medicine at Stellenbosch University. Her mother, Anelda, said studying medicine was her daughter’s dream.
Another KwaZulu-Natal pupil, 17-year-old Muhamed Charfaray from Maritzburg College, placed second in physical science. He also achieved eight distinctions.
Muhamed was over the moon. “I was overwhelmed when I got the call,” he told The Mercury. “It’s very exciting, I’m very happy.”
Speaking of his matric year, he said he enjoyed it. “There were some stressful times during trials and finals but I never gave up.”
In addition to focusing on his academics, Muhamed took part in an outreach programme last year and helped tutor disadvantaged children.
His father, Alli Asgar, was thrilled with his son’s achievements.
“I’m very excited,” he said. “There is also a sense of relief, that all our hard work has paid off”.
Alli Asgar said he backed his son “100 percent” throughout his matric year. “I took him to school and to extra lessons. So I made sacrifices that paid off too,” he said.
Muhamed also plans on studying medicine this year, at the University of Witwatersrand or Stellenbosch.
Four other pupils from Maritzburg College achieved eight distinctions and nine pupils obtained seven distinctions.