I started with the ACE curriculum in 2000 when I was in grade 4 and graduated in 2008. I enjoy being independent and working on my own, therefore ACE suited me perfectly.

By the grace of God I got accepted at the University of Pretoria to study towards a Veterinary Science degree, and I started my studies in 2009. Adapting to university was much easier than I expected. I expected it to be very challenging to go from working in my own office to attending lectures in lecture halls filled with hundreds of students, and I thought the other students that came from public schools would adapt easier than I would. However, I soon found that university is very similar to the ACE system of working. In university you also work independently most of the time. The lecturer mainly explains difficult concepts and tells you what to study, but after the lecture you still have to go read your textbook and do any example questions that there might be, which is very similar to working in PACEs.

In university you have to work hard from the first day of the term until the last. ACE taught me exactly that. Since we don’t have examination periods, the pace of working stays constant throughout the whole term.

In order to study extremely large volumes of work, you have to break it into bite-size sections, otherwise you’ll find it extremely difficult to study all the required material. This is where goal setting comes in. Setting my own goals from a very young age in ACE enabled me to set daily goals in my studies, which helped me to master large amounts of work.

Memorizing Scripture verses helped me develop memory skills, which turned out to be extremely useful when studying medical and scientific terminology.
Most importantly, ACE taught me that faith and science go hand in hand. I was filled with awe of God’s Creation as we were taught scientific concepts and realized time and again that such complex processes couldn’t merely have come about by chance. This made me more enthusiastic about my studies and helped me grow in faith and determination.

Questions are often asked about the standard of ACE. I think the standard of ACE is way above that of other schools. I found most of the university work easier than the other students in my class because ACE covers that work comprehensively at school level. I also showed my younger sister, who is in grade 12, some of the chemistry work we did during the year, and she recognized most of it. A retired science teacher who helps teach science at our school had a look at our Science PACEs and he was very impressed. He said that most of the work we do in grade 12 is not covered in public schools. Those students only learn it at university level.

Due to the different Math approach in public schools I found it beneficiary to work through old exam papers from public schools in preparation for the AARP.

Growing up in a small town and being in a small school didn’t have any negative impact on my social development. On the contrary, it definitely helped me develop some important social skills, since it forced me to work and play with others that I didn’t get along with well or that weren’t my age. Also, I was always the oldest student in the school and often had to take on leadership roles, which helped me develop leadership skills that I probably wouldn’t have developed in a different situation. The annual All Africa Student Convention was the highlight of each year. What made it so special was being with so many like minded students. I also had the privilege of attending the International Student Convention in 2008, where I made many new friends.

At university God blessed me with a good group of friends and I was never pressurised to compromise my Christian standards.

I ended the year with a 90% average, and I was rewarded by the university with an achievement bursary of R15000. Going to an ACE school made this possible and I am extremely grateful to my parents for schooling me in ACE. I am grateful to God for helping me to cope with the hard work and carrying me through times when I thought I wouldn’t make it. He richly rewarded my hard work and I couldn’t have done it without Him.