MPHO MUKOSI
Johannesburg - “During my time in high school, I realised the most important thing was to know yourself and know what works for you.” These are the words of an 18-year old Anita Luo from Crawford Lonehill.
“I tried a lot of different methods like smart girls and I realised that what worked for me more was setting small daily goals like making sure I completed all my homework on time.”
The smart young woman will be furthering her studies at New York University Shanghai this year.
“I chose to go there because I want to explore while I’m still young, and I will not be alone on that side since some of my family members are on that side,” said Luo.
Luo added that she wasn’t sure yet what she wants to study, but IMA (interactive media arts) has been on her mind.
“It’s really a cool course for me because I’ll be leaning on programming, and that’s something I’m really passionate about. I love art and VR. I also love exploring new technology, and I know I will get the best education when I get to Shanghai.”
The artist is one step away from making her dream come true after she obtained a full house of nine distinctions in Afrikaans first additional language, business studies, English home language, life sciences, life orientation, maths, physical sciences, further studies maths and visual art.
She was named a Commendable Achievement by the IEB, ranking within the top 5% of candidates nationally in five subjects.
“I’d love to advise the class of 2023 to start now and start strong before the work becomes too much to handle.”
Luo said she was working hard during the first six months, but in the last six months, she did not work as hard because she continued with her work and did not struggle while preparing for her finals.
“That’s why I advise them to start studying while it’s still early.
“Coming from a family of immigrants, especially Asians, I struggled a lot when it came to speaking English. Although I was born in South Africa, my English was not perfect at all, so I had to take AP English as a way to improve. Even with the difficulties I had with English, I still managed to get good marks because I was so dedicated to knowing the language.
Other than studying, Luo is also passionate about art: she can create something out of wire, mesh and cloth, as well as wood.
The Star