LOOK: Embracing failure via Facebook post
Matric: Lestowan Visser, 18, and his pos
A brave Grade 12 learner started trending on social media after opening up about failing the matric exams.
Lestowan Visser, 18, from Langeberg Secondary in Robertson, took to Facebook with a picture holding his results and captioned it: “Don’t qualify for a national senior certificate but it’s also not the end of the world. We will try again.”
The post had received more than 1 500 reactions, 253 shares and 150 comments by on Sunday.
“I expected more from myself because I was full of self-confidence,” he tells the Daily Voice.
“Our school’s pass rate was high but when I opened my envelope I just read the bottom part which stated that I do not qualify for a national senior certificate.
“I felt very disappointed in myself but I did not expect my Facebook post to receive that much attention.
“I did not upload the post for mense because every year I post my successful stories and I felt why can’t I post this?
“The comments on the post made me feel better, people encouraged me om aan te hou and now I can motivate those who didn’t make it to do the same,” he adds.
The Western Cape recorded an 81.4% pass rate.
Lestowan says that he failed geography and maths literacy.
He was in emotional turmoil last year: “I lost a very close friend last year and that was a major setback for me. She was pregnant and had complications during birth.
“My plan is to rewrite my two subjects in June because I know I can do better. I am going to re-apply at tertiary institutions and NSFAS.”
He hopes to study in Cape Town for either an education or drama degree.