Johannesburg - A journey of discovering new things and scientific experiments in the laboratory is only a registration away for St John’s College’s Greg Thompson.
Thompson will surely be smiling all the way to the country’s capital city of Pretoria, where he has applied to study microbiology.
The youngster scored seven distinctions in English home language, German second additional language, IsiZulu first additional language, life orientation, life sciences, maths and physical sciences.
But he hasn’t ruled out studying abroad, stating he would consider it if the opportunity arose.
“I would like to return overseas and to study there this time around. That would be great and a dream come true, but yes, I will also be happy with the local university.”
When asked how he felt about his matric results, Thompson was modest, stating he was not a genius.
“I’m not one of those natural geniuses and I have to put in the work to do well. I took academics really seriously. I put a strict routine in place for myself and I set goals that I worked hard to achieve. I’ve always been a hard worker.”
Thompson said he was interested in developing new things and conducting research, which led to his microbiology career choice.
“I want to go all the way to PhD level, specialising in virology and researching vaccines that put a stop to the scourge of viruses such as the coronavirus presently wreaking havoc across the planet.”
He said he would miss his high school days and St John’s College offered him life-changing experiences.
“I loved my years at St John’s. The school offers so many opportunities. I went on a scholarship exchange to Germany while at St John’s and this was an amazing experience that helped me understand so much of what the world offers beyond the confines of what we’re accustomed to.”
Thompson conceded that things got tough during exam season as he had to study and fulfil his prefect duties at school.
“You could see that the other boys were stressed during this period and I had to lift some of them and I’m glad that we managed to pull together.
“At some point, I had to write twice and the following day, but credit has to go to my parents, who worked tirelessly, and my teachers.”
He advised youngsters to set goals, work towards them and take advantage of all the opportunities being offered to them.
The Star