Pinelands High matric pupils Rayyan Ebrahim and Shannon Jansen van Rensburg.
They started high school on the eve of a global pandemic in 2020, now Pinelands High head prefects Shannon Jansen van Rensburg, 17, and Rayyan Ebrahim, 18, are facing a new challenge: their matric year.
Shannon, who says it's daunting and scary approaching her final year, credits her family and teachers for helping to get her to this point.
“I am grateful for the support given to the many people that helped us through our schooling especially as we started Grade 8 during Covid-19.”
Shannon plays water polo and hockey, sings in the school’s jazz band and choir and is a member of the Christian Union. She says she wants to end her high school career with a sound academic performance but is also mindful of her role as a prefect.
“A goal is to reignite the school spirit, and, as part of the prefect body, get involved with the juniors, and I strive to do my job as head prefect very well.”
Rayyan does athletics and is a member of the Muslim Student Association. He also writes poetry and has had work published in the English Alive 2023 anthology.
“I would like to aim to achieve a number of matric distinctions in the final exams and would like to make lasting memories in my school life with my peers,” he says.
Shannon plans to take a gap year and then study teaching. “This is only the beginning of our story as we approach the end of our time at Pinelands High School. There will be many things we encounter that are outside our control, though what we can control is our attitudes in the way we approach challenges, setbacks and changes,” she says.
Rayyan, who hopes to study a Bachelor's degree at UCT, urges fellow matrics to strive for dedication and consistency in their studies.
“We should also enjoy the experience of being in matric while working hard, and we should make this a memorable year.”