'It was ambitious, but it was my goal to get that mark'

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Point High School's matric dux of 2024, Gratia Pauw, is celebrating her results in a big way.

On Wednesday she flew to Cape Town, starting her journey to Europe with her sister for a two-week holiday.

They are visiting Belgium and The Netherlands.

Gratia (18) achieved an aggregate of 95% and seven distinctions.

Determination

When one meets Gratia, one is struck by her focus and determination. She knows what she wants and sets about achieving it. She is bristling with "brain energy".

Born in Pretoria, Gratia was one and a half years old when her family came to Mossel Bay.

Her matric subjects were Afrikaans and English, both home language level, mathematics, physical sciences, life sciences, music and life orientation.

For music, she did exams in both the cello and piano.

Her favourite subjects were life sciences and physical sciences, but she liked the community feeling of her music classes the most, because there was a small number of learners.

She says: "I will study applied medicinal chemistry at the University of Stellenbosch.

Ambitious goal

"It was my goal to get 95%. It was an ambitious goal; I was pleasantly surprised when I achieved it, but I had hoped to do that well."

Besides being brainy, Gratia also played netball throughout high school.

Sharing the secret of her academic success, she said: "I used every moment I had in class to the full."

Even if a teacher left the class for 10 minutes, Gratia would use that time to study, "especially if had homework", she says.

"I made summaries at the beginning of the year and I used them throughout the year."
She also devised "module-specific exercises" for herself.

Questions

"I asked many questions in class. When I studied, if I had a question, I went back to my teachers and asked it.

"I read my summaries before going into exams. That helped me a lot." Gratia also put together "mini crash courses" which she read through before going into exams.

She describes herself as extremely hard working and comes across as positive.

"I always love teaching. I'd like to become a lecturer, go on with research and open my own medicinal practice, combining medicine, technology and chemistry, which can help people improve their living standards."

When Mossel Bay Advertiser interviewed her this week she was super excited about her trip to Europe, noting that she and her sister have friends in Belgium and The Netherlands was chosen as a destination because "my mother was an au pair there and my dad studied there", so it is a special country to the family.

She adds: "Belgium and The Netherlands are close to each other so we chose to visit the two."