Chapter II
Six years of compounding work in the hills of KwaZulu-Natal — plus one semester in Virginia that rearranged the rest of it.
Head Boy, and second in the grade on a 94% average. Represented South Africa's national schools chess structures and took second place at the National Speaking Competition — the first sign that the argument and the arithmetic were going to travel together. Left with a scholarship to Michaelhouse.
Straight into the top five academically, with a distinction in the first year of counting. Won the Gabriel Masse Award for Public Speaking — the first of three. Also won a school-wide competition to design a vertical farm, business plan included, which is roughly where the engineering and the entrepreneurship met.
The year the record started to build outward. Top ten in the Debating League, top ten and a winning team at provincials, and a Silver Certificate at Nationals. Bronze in the English Olympiad and the third round of the Maths Olympiad. A second Gabriel Masse Award, a part in the school play, and half colours in three separate disciplines.
First in History, a distinction, and top ten again — then a deliberate departure. Half the year at Woodberry Forest in Virginia on honours American History, American English, Advanced Calculus and Advanced Coding. Seven half marathons in a single semester. A hundred hours of community service. Prizes for poetry and for a book review. Organised the school's soccer and taught rugby to Americans during the World Cup. The kind of year that recalibrates what you think is possible.
The year of consolidation and elevation. Named to the KwaZulu-Natal debating team and ranked top ten in the province, then competed for the South African team in public speaking and at National Debating. Won the Maritzburg Impromptu Speaking Competition. Passed Advanced Statistics with a distinction a full year early — one of only three students in the school's history to do it. Entered the Yale economics writing competition. Honours in both debating and academics.
The final movement, with five years of compounding work arriving at once — academic, athletic and rhetorical. School Prefect, Chairperson of Debating and Public Speaking, Head of Cross-Country and Head of Chess. Trialled for the South African schools debating team. Ran the Durban City Marathon and the Ultra-Trail Drakensberg as one of the youngest in both fields. Built a monetary policy for South Africa for the SARB Challenge, ran a research project with the Rector, and finished with six distinctions and a place at Stellenbosch for BEng Mechatronic Engineering.
Second in the National Debating League.
First in KwaZulu-Natal.
Five seasons to get there.
National Debating League · 2025
