A Grade 9 Star College Girls High School pupil won her age category in the global 10th Hippo English Language Olympiad, held in Rome, Italy.
Darakhshaan Faki, 15, from Rylands, was awarded gold and overall winner in her category, beating her three opponents at the global finals.
Her journey started in April, when she and 25 other pupils from Star College Cape Town competed in the preliminary round. From there, she made it through the various stages, and was selected to represent her school and South Africa in the global competition, which was held on Thursday and Friday September 29 and 30.
Darakhshaan qualified with 183 global candidates for the world finals and was among the 67 750 pupils from 50 countries who participated in various age categories this year.
The Global Hippo Association, which hosts the Olympiad, is a non-profit organisation founded in 2012 with the purpose of promoting English language knowledge and bringing children from different countries together.
Star College Girls High School deputy principal Yolandi Costa said the school was very proud of Darakhshaan’s achievement.
“She put in all the hard work and dedication. She also needed to prepare quite a lot, apart from her usual school work. She is a quiet learner but can easily adjust in whatever environment she is in. We are super proud of her and wish her endless success. We know that she will go very far in her future endeavours,” Ms Costa said.
Her parents, Salaam and Bushra Faki, are also thrilled with their daughter’s achievement.
Darakhshaan said she had at first not been confident and had not expected to win.
“I was shocked to learn that I was one of 183 finalists from more than 60 000 candidates across the world. It was also a shock for me when I found out that I was going to Rome. I was extremely nervous and quite intimidated as the other finalists in my category were good. I was not expecting to win at all. Although it was a competition, the experience was much more enjoyable. I got to meet and befriend people from across the world and explore the beautiful city of Rome.”
Her teacher, Muneerah Khan, accompanied her on the trip, and because of Darakhshaan’s award, Ms Khan won an online Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course.
Said Ms Khan: “Darakhshaan is a hard-working and dedicated learner. She also shows a lot of maturity for her age. Her category competitors are two years older than her, but although she felt a little intimidated, she could hold her own. We are extremely proud of her.”
