Gratuity and shock are still some of the feelings that surge through 17-year-old Vedarsh Bagrath when he speaks about his outstanding Senior Certificate Examinations results.

The Drakensberg Secondary School pupil received seven distinctions and thus obtained first position in the Uthukela district and Estcourt circuit.

Vedarsh has attended two ceremonies hosted by the Education Department to honour the top matriculants in KwaZulu-Natal in Durban last week and on Monday he attended a function in Ladysmith, which recognised the top learners in the district.

So, how does that feel?

“I am still surprised and shocked. I did not expect these results because, honestly, I felt the exam papers quite difficult. For me, personally there were a lot of prayers and people who supported me, which I am very grateful for,” said Vedarsh.

With a world of opportunities at his feet, this young man is taking his time on deciding on a career to pursue and says it’s a choice between actuarial science or chemical engineering.

When asked for words of advice to grade 12 who have started the most important year of their academic life today, he says that striking a balance between work and play is important.

“Everything is achievable as long as you work hard and have fun,” he said.

Vedarsh says that he tried not to be intimidated by his two siblings’, Shirvana and Prathna’s success. Both girls were at the top of their class in their respective years.

“The advice I received from my sisters was to have fun but when it was time to study, I should focus. My short-term goal is to survive the first months of university by adapting to the lifestyle and my long-term goal is to be qualified with some degree and make a lot of money,” laughed the young man.