Parktown High School for Girls learner’s passion for words land her in top place
Parktown High School for Girls, Grade 9 learner Meghan Olwagen was awarded the top performer in English Own Choice Poetry.
Practice and passion resulted in Parktown High School for Girls learner Meghan Olwagen being awarded top performer in the English Own Choice Poetry category at the National Eisteddfod of South Africa 2023.
Olwagen said she remembers participating in the eisteddfod at a young age but stopped due to her primary school having its own version of the performance competition.
“When I started writing poetry again, I knew I wanted to enter, but I never thought I would achieve such an award so quickly. I was surprised and very happy. Although, next year I am aiming for an even larger award.”
The Grade 9 learner said she wrote a lot of poetry when she was younger participated in the National Eisteddfod at the age of four and wrote her own poems in a book she kept.
Her favourite subjects include English, maths, biology, and drama.
She added that she enjoyed poetry because, ‘the style in which words are compiled into words, sentences and stanzas is a way that I do not see any other form of literature ever competing with’.
“Poetry is the words of the body, mind, and soul and a way of communicating your feelings and thoughts, as a form of art.”
Olwagen said the extramural activities included major production which takes up most of her time and she practices on Saturdays for seven hours, and after school until 18:00.
“I’m also part of the debating team and gardening club. It is quite a lot to juggle with my academics, but I have learnt time management skills so that I can achieve well academically too.”
Related Article: Deutsche Internationale Schule Johannesburg congratulates bronze medalist learner
