Meet KHS’ top achiever, Mahlatse

Mahlatse Mahlake was shocked to find out that she was Krugersdorp High School’s (KHS) top achiever.

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“I knew that I can do it, so I just did it,” she told the News and further explained she is a busy bee.
“I am someone who likes playing sports, keeping myself busy, who loves going out with my friends and try out new things. Oh yes, I also love my siblings,” she said.

Also read: Class of 2022: KHS matrics knock it out the park

Mahlatse added the most challenging thing about matric was juggling everything.
“I was the head girl, played soccer, rugby and hockey and I was in the first team for all three, so juggling everything was hard together with the death of my mom” she said. Mahlatse, who also lost her mother due to Covid in December 2020 explained that grieving was the hardest part in her matric year.

“It took a toll on my mental health. The worst was in 2021 because I did not know what to do for a while. I think I was depressed and in a really dark space but I tried to look okay but every time I came home I was struggling but with prayer and being around my friends and my family it was therapy.”

Despite her challenges, she explained to the News she has always been someone who is academically inclined.

“I just like pushing myself to the best that I can.”

Being an achiever was a dream of Mahlatse. “So there’s awards after prelims and my goal was to be the top achiever there, and unfortunately, I missed it by 0,3% so then I was second,” she said.

“That was my ultimate goal that was all I was looking for, if I can just get that,” she said, but things completely changed the morning of January 20.

“I was really shocked and confused because everyone just congratulated me. I thought to myself ‘I’m sure we all did well’ and then on my way to school I saw the post on Instagram and I thought wow, I really did not expect that,” she said.

She also explains that she had gave strict orders or rather asked everyone kindly to sleep early so that she can study, in the end that worked in her favour.

With medicine in the back of her mind, she is planning on studying Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch. “I want to keep myself busy for this year and do something related to medicine.”

Her advice to the class of 2023 is, “It does get better and try to surround yourself with people who are like you and people who will push you because sometimes it does get lonely and it doesn’t help pushing people away because you need support and people to talk to.”

She concluded matric is not the easiest and being surrounded by friends, family and teachers who supported her ultimately helped her to pull through and excel.