What makes him such an exceptional student is the journey he has taken to reach this exciting new phase in his life: he has not let a serious learning difficulty stand in his way.  By effectively coping with the effects of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Jestus has proven to himself – and others – that it is possible to shift from simply trying to cope with ADD to living with and even thriving as a result of it.

 

Tasting the sweet fruit of success

 

Jestus obtained an overall average of 90% during the 2017 National Senior Certificate examinations, and earned six distinctions. He achieved 98% for accounting, 93% for both Afrikaans and business studies, 92% for both computer application technology and mathematical literacy, and 91% for life orientation. And the proverbial cherry on top? Jestus achieved these results as a learner with special educative needs (LSEN).

 

With his good results, Jestus proudly took centre stage at the Gauteng Education Department’s Top Achiever Awards earlier in the year, when he was named the province’s top LSEN learner.

 

He also took to the stage as one of the top three best-performing learners of the Sedibeng East Educational District and received still more recognition as one of the Top 10 learners of the Emfuleni Municipality.  Just recently, Prof Linda du Plessis, deputy vice-chancellor for integrated planning and campus campus operations in Vanderbijlpark, applauded Jestus as one of the top two academic performers among the campus’s intake of new first-year students.

 

Jestus’s journey with ADD

 

“My mind often wanders and as a result it takes a lot of effort to stay focused on the task at hand,” says Jestus, adding that his learning challenge also makes it hard for him to grasp difficult concepts.  In a concerted effort to “balance out” the adverse effects of ADD, Jestus says that he has had to train himself to keep at a task until he masters it.  This means having to spend long hours doing homework and preparing for exams.

 

Asked if he sees himself as a role model for other LSEN learners, he says that he would be honoured to be regarded as such. “My academic achievement aside, I would like to motivate others to realise that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. It really is true: if you can dream it, you can do it!”

 

An all-round achiever

 

Academics is not his only strength. Jestus, who completed his secondary school career at Destinata School in Meyerton, was head boy of the school in 2017.

 

When he was not busy with his leadership duties and academic responsibilities, Jestus took part in various sporting codes and, true to his nature, excelled as a versatile sportsman.

 

From 2011 to 2016 he was a member of the Sedibeng chess team that represented the region at the SA Junior Chess Championships.  In 2015 and 2016 he was chosen for the Sedibeng East cross-country team and took to the podium in 2017 at the LSEN SA Athletics Championships as the men’s winner of the 800 m and the 1 500 m relays. As a cricketer, he represented the Gauteng LSEN cricket team for two seasons (2015 and 2016).