Johannesburg - Bonolo Boya describes her matric year as “a beautiful labyrinth” that was filled with a string of challenges, revealing that through her drive and determination, she was able to push through it all and deliver good results at SAHETI School.
“I like to look at my academic year as some kind of beautiful labyrinth. It was an extremely challenging year where, on most nights, the pain of pulling all-nighters seemed meaningless.
“But the anxiety and fatigue also created a space for me to discover parts of myself that never would have been revealed to me without those challenges. I learnt that I am driven, diligent, and determined – qualities that pushed me through and helped me prevail,” Bonolo said.
Asked if she had plans at the start of the year to assist her to do well in her matric journey, she said: “I really tried to create a sense of balance in terms of my studies. It is nearly impossible to do your best when you aren’t feeling your best, so my academic plan consisted of a lot of focus on my mental health.
“The ways in which I tried to dedicate time to this included spending time with loved ones and enjoying certain hobbies. I’m a huge fan of music and books, so those really helped provide an escape,” she said.
The 18-year-old also spoke about her biggest highlight, revealing that it was attaining her academic goals and all the fond memories with teachers and friends.
“My biggest highlight of the year was achieving a lot of academic goals that I had been working towards throughout my entire high school career. I also appreciate the memories I created with friends and teachers that now remind me that matric wasn’t all too bad.
“A huge challenge I encountered this year was dealing with results that I wasn’t prepared to face. I had a lot of bad test days, especially with maths and science. At some point, I became demotivated and demoralised because I did not see my hard work paying off. My teachers were extremely supportive, and a lot of the pressure was lifted from my shoulders by their faith in me,” Bonolo shared.
She cited her mother as her biggest supporter, detailing that her mom has plenty of faith in her.
“My mom has been incredibly supportive. She hasn’t put any pressure on me in anticipation of whether or not I achieve the goals I set for myself. She holds a lot of faith that I will excel, and that has been so refreshing, especially because I have put myself under so much stress,” she said.
“I don’t think it’s completely wild, but I guess I would say that my wildest dream would be to become the first and youngest female president of South Africa. I would say that the wildest thing about it is that I hope to completely transform South Africa into one of the greatest nations in the world. In the meantime, our leaders have left me with quite a lot of work…”
Bonolo plans to study BCom law and later pursue international relations.
The Star