Serena Nayager shines with seven distinctions at Avonford Secondary

Avonford Secondary School, in Phoenix, is celebrating the outstanding achievement of 17-year-old Serena Nayager, who obtained an impressive seven distinctions in her Matric exam with a 91% aggregate.

The youngest of four children, Nayager will soon be heading to Cape Town to begin her academic journey, having secured a place to study Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at the University of Cape Town (UCT) with an A-aggregate throughout her Matric year.

Nayager received distinctions in Maths, Physics, Accounting, Life Science, English, and Afrikaans. "I did not expect to get seven distinctions. I was so surprised and so happy," she admitted.

Acting-principal Mageshnee Reddy praised the consistent student, saying, “We are very proud of what she has been able to do. There has never been a term where she has faulted and has been consistent. The dreams she has are achievable.”

The full-of-smiles introvert credited her mother, Pravashnee Nayager, as her biggest support. Reflecting on her success, Nayager emphasised discipline and starting early, advising the class of 2026: “You have to take the initiative to discipline yourself... You also have to start from term one because if you start too late, then you end up cramming, and that makes things stressful.”

Her intense study routine included waking up at 4 am and studying until 6 am, and then again from after school until 11 pm.

Nayager also went the extra mile by researching any subject she did not fully understand, even topics outside the syllabus, to gain a broader understanding.

Avonford Secondary achieved a pass rate of 98.71% this year, with78  pupils sitting for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) Exam.