Top achiever: Jenhara's journey from mental health struggles to medical school

AT JUST 18, Midstream College's top achiever Jenhara Rooplall earned an extraordinary 97.1% aggregate with 11 distinctions while overcoming an eating disorder.

Now headed to medical school, she shares how her personal struggles shaped her resilience and academic success, offering hope to others facing similar challenges

With her impeccable results in subjects such as mathematics, physical sciences, and accounting, Jenhara, of Centurion, is poised to take on the rigours of medical school at the University of Pretoria.

During her school's recent awards day, she was awarded Grade 12 Dux Learner of 2025 along with top achiever for the following subjects: English home language, Afrikaans first additional language, mathematics, life sciences, accounting and history.

"When I saw my results, I expected to feel intense emotions. Instead I felt calm and grounded. At that moment I was not thinking about the number of As but instead the journey behind getting those marks and all of the discipline and perseverance it took."

A person who was instrumental in her early childhood development was her grandmother, Savathree Pillay, who is now 79.

"I have always had a strong bond with her and she helped raise me from a young age because my parents had to deal with my sister Micara, who unfortunately experienced kidney issues when she was 3 years old.

"My granny has always been a big believer in the power of education. When I was in pre-primary, she read stories to me and helped me with counting. Once I started Grade 1, she would sit with me every day after school and help me do my homework. She always tested me on spelling words and helped me add and subtract.

"By sitting down with me to do my homework every day, she was unknowingly instilling discipline in me by helping me build the habit of doing my work on time. During primary school I always struggled a bit with mathematics, specifically long division. No matter how many times I practised long division, I couldn’t seem to get it right.

"At one point my maths teacher seemed to have given up on me but my granny was not going to let it go. Every day she made me practice it while she watched. She never got tired of explaining it to me over and over and over again. Eventually, by the end of Grade 4, I had learnt it; all thanks to her. This was one instance where she taught me to never give up even when it's tough."

But life’s challenges soon presented themselves.

"I was 10 years old when my dad experienced heart problems. His arteries were blocked, so he had to go for a quadruple heart bypass. When I found out my dad was ill, it was the scariest and most anxious experience of my life. I was so worried and doubtful that something would go wrong during the surgery. I then decided I wanted to become a doctor after seeing first-hand what a special and important role doctors play." 

A few years later, she faced her own demons.

"In grades 8 and 9, I struggled a lot with my mental health. I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Recovering from my eating disorder and the great sadness I experienced taught me a lot about myself. After reaching rock bottom, I made a promise to myself that I would never allow myself to be in a situation like that again.

"While I was recovering and getting better, I learnt so much more about myself and I started prioritising different things. Instead of focusing on my appearance, I decided to instead focus on my love for academics and my desire to help other people."

She said her struggles with her mental health and insecurity were an integral part of her identity and she was open about this because she knew others faced the same battles.

"I would love to inspire others and show them that even though life might sometimes feel unbearable, there is always a reason for hope. Now I am looking forward to my future."

Regarding medicine and specialisation, she wants to keep her options open.

"I am leaning towards becoming a radiologist similar to my dad's profession. Another option is possibly becoming an endocrinologist because out of all the body systems I learnt about in school, the endocrine system and the power of hormones intrigued me the most."

Looking further down the road, she said she would like to work in Cape Town to experience something new and different from Gauteng, get involved in more charity, and help the community as much as possible.

Her advice to the Class of 2026: "Take things one step at a time. Matric is an intimidating and overwhelming year but the key is to break it up into manageable pieces. Planning your days and weekends and deciding when you are going to study, do assignments or complete homework is important. Even more important than that is actually sticking to the plan.

"Focus on consistency rather than short term results. Sometimes your efforts might not produce the results you were aiming for. However, you should remember that you are a human being as well and you are allowed to make mistakes. Give yourself grace and believe in yourself. Also, do not let your past define you. If you struggled with school or academics in the past, do not let that discourage you in any way. Your past marks and failures don’t define you."

Her mom, Videshree, said: "As a mother, I have watched Jenhara grow into a focused and resilient young lady. She always strives for more rather than settling for less, setting high standards for herself, and meeting challenges with perseverance, quiet confidence, humility, and calm

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