THOMAS More College’s Bethany Steenkamp is its high school SPAR Star of the Month.
The Grade 9 learner achieved an aggregate of 93% and came in the top 0.4% countrywide for the Talent Search run by the Computer Olympiad in her phase.
Only 19 learners, out of 4638 nation-wide who wrote the Talent Search paper for Grade 8s and 9s, achieved a score of 93% and above. Of the 12 049 students who wrote the phase-specific Talent Search papers, from Grades 5 to matric, only 53 achieved 93% and above.
The Talent Search requires the use of Computational Thinking, which involves using a set of problem-solving skills and techniques that software engineers use to write programmes and apps, including the ability to break down complex tasks into simpler components, algorithm design, pattern recognition, pattern generalisation and abstraction.
Pre-pandemic, Bethany successfully competed as a member of one of Thomas More’s robotics teams provincially, and received a silver medal. She competed in the World Robot Olympiad and was in the top 10 of the Maths and Beyond provincial competition.
Bethany has also excelled at sport climbing and, at the last national competition in 2019, before the Covid-19 Pandemic, she represented KZN Climbing and received three gold medals.
Her other passions include design and art.
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