Jared Benn, centre, was placed second nationally and received the top award for physical science in the country. He is pictured with, from left, Wynberg Boys High School principal Deon Scheepers and his parents, Megan and Grant Benn. Picture: supplied
Wynberg Boys’ High School top achiever Jared Benn was invited to the national awards ceremony for the country’s top matriculants held in Gauteng last Thursday.
Jared was placed second nationally with a 96.14% aggregate, and he was the top achiever in the country for physical science.
He scored 100% for both maths and physical science. He says he has always loved figuring out how the world works and trying to make sense of it and these two subjects are the closest one can get to understanding the world around us.
He attributes his love for maths to his Grade 8 maths teacher, Neil Eddy, who he says taught him how to think outside of the box and to not only be confined to school maths but also to explore many different aspects of the subject.
Jared plans to study chemical engineering at Stellenbosch University this year.
Jared’s mom, Megan Benn, said she had at first thought the call she had received from the Department of Basic Education was a hoax.
“The woman on the line wouldn’t tell me what it was about, just that he needed to fly up to Johannesburg on Wednesday with a parent to receive an award from the minister. We didn’t receive much information until right before my husband and he left. We were kept in suspense as to what the award would be.”
Ms Benn advised parents of this year’s matrics to encourage their children to get as much out of the year as they possibly can.
“Matric is an amazing year. Let them get involved in as much as they can manage. Let them enjoy and embrace everything on offer, but ensure that they work consistently throughout the year.
“By the end of year exams, Jared was calm as he had studied well for all the other exams, and by that time, it was mainly revision. He also did a massive amount of past papers especially in subjects like maths and physical science.”
She thanked Wynberg Boys’ High School for everything they have done for Jared, especially his teachers.
Overall Wynberg Boys’ High School’s 175 matriculants delivered a 99.4% pass rate with an 87.4% Bachelor pass rate and 27 A’s. Added to this are 250 subject distinctions and a grade average of 67.82%.
Principal Deon Scheepers said the school had gone out of its way to ensure that the class of 2023 had been adequately prepared, and he thanked and congratulated the academic staff and parents for their commitment and support.