Africa-Press – South-Africa. It’s the first time I’ve experienced such great disappointment in myself, and that’s totally okay,” said Lestowan Visser from Roberston in the Western Cape.
Visser didn’t pass the 2022 matric exams but, instead of hiding it from people, he decided to speak about it openly so that others like him would know that they’re not alone.
He revealed his results to his more than 4 800 followers on Facebook, and the post garnered close to 2 000 likes.
Several people commended him for his positive attitude and for not giving up.
In an interview with News24, Visser said he had “mixed emotions” when he collected his results at Langeberg Secondary School.
“I wanted to be alone when I opened the envelope because whatever the results were going to be, I wanted to live in the moment and just be grateful that I made it this far.
“Unfortunately, the hard work I put in didn’t reap the results I had hoped for. Of course, I was very disappointed in myself because I know that despite the challenges we as matriculants faced, no one prepares to fail,” he added.
But, even though his results could have led him down a very depressing road, he chose to gather his thoughts and openly speak about it so that the next person could draw courage from it and know that they are not alone.
Last week Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier announced that the provincial matric pass rate had increased to 81.4%.
“While we were able to conduct all of our exams successfully despite the power cuts, they left many learners in the dark in the evenings when they needed to study,” Maynier said at the time.
For Visser, load shedding was a big challenge.
“I live in a predominantly rural area where the signal is not always the best, and having to research topics I needed to understand thoroughly wasn’t an easy process.
He said:
But he says it’s not the end of the world for him.
“Yes, there are mean people in the world who will always throw insults when given the opportunity. Yes, I failed matric, but that doesn’t mean my life stops here. I want to be the reason the next person who fails feels that they are not in this alone; that one stumbling block doesn’t have to be the end of your life.
“Yes, it is very easy to fall into a depressive stage of your life when things don’t go your way, but I want to be that beacon of hope that no matter your circumstances, you can overcome them,” Visser said.
He added that the support of his family has kept him afloat.
“To have a strong support structure means the world. My parents understood it was a very difficult year for me and that this wasn’t what I had hoped the results would show. I don’t think I would’ve handled the results this strongly if it wasn’t for my family. Yes, of course, I’m heartbroken I failed. Am I going to give up? Hell no,” he added.
Visser is planning to rewrite the two subjects he failed and to apply to universities to set in motion his dream career of becoming a school teacher.
“One day, I’ll be the motivation my future learners will need because I will be their living example of what never giving up and reaching for your dreams meant, despite the many failures life will throw at you,” Visser said.
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