weekly newspaper.
In 2017 Selaelo Mmolai failed Grade 10 – a combination of poor friend choices and his secret struggles with mathematics all contributed to his temporary setback.
Three years later, the 19-year-old is “the top-performing learner” at his school, Bokgoni Technical Secondary in Atteridgeville, for achieving stellar grades in his National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.
“I cried. I failed Grade 10? No one believed it happened to me, neither did I,” a giggling Mmolai said. “I’ve always been that kid who loves books. The nerd that always achieved good grades.”
That was his bugle call. He made new friends, dumped the ones who influenced many of his bad choices, swapped classes and relied on his sisters to occasionally help tackle maths, once his Achilles heel.