Petronella Ackermann
Durbanville Curro’s Class of 2022 scored a 100% pass rate and 15 A aggregates.
This year’s matrics have all met the criteria for university entrance. They achieved a 70.14% grade average, 188 subject A aggregates and 226 subject B aggregates.
The school’s top achievers are Petronella Ackermann (91.57%), Dashayin Gilbert (89.43%) and Albert Diedericks (88.86%).
“I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, but overall extremely happy and proud. I woke up that morning to tons of messages congratulating me before I even knew about my achievements,” said Petronella about receiving her results and learning that she had scored seven distinctions.
“I did most of my preparation throughout the year by just being attentive. By the time exams came, I wasn’t feeling too stressed because I knew that I had retained all the information I was taught during class and that I understood it.”
Her advice for this year’s matrics is to find a balance between studying and one’s personal life.
“Don’t stress too much when things aren’t going your way. School marks aren’t always a good indicator as to how ‘smart’ someone is. Just do your best and be proud of your accomplishments without comparing yourself to others.”
Petronella is planning to study global media in Seoul, South Korea.
Dash, who also scored seven distinctions, said of his achievements: “After seeing my results, I can definitely say I am happy. However, I am always looking to improve, so I would have liked to look at my papers to see what mistakes I had made.”
He said he hadn’t relied on any particularly unusual study methods to prepare for his exams.
“I always just sit at my desk and study. It’s simple, but it’s what has always worked for me. The important thing to remember is that it will only work if you are absolutely dedicated. There’s no need to plan your every minute. You just need to make sure that you start studying early enough to be fully prepared.“
His future goals involve pursuing a career in motorsport, specifically, motorsport aerodynamics.