On the AWSUM couch with Merrifield College’s Head Boy: Dylan Kurten

Congratulations on being selected as a leader at your school. What are you looking forward to the most during your term as leader? I look forward to seeing what challenges the next year brings and seeing what I can do to help the school navigate them. It’s also very exciting having a new bunch of grade 8’s coming in, I definitely look forward to showing them exactly why this school is such an awesome environment for them to learn and grow in.

What are your strengths and weaknesses? My most prominent weakness is lack of organisation. While I can deal well with anything and everything on my plate, I struggle to get things in order and have systems in place for things, that being said, my strengths are definitely along the lines of quick thinking, creative problem solving and determination to see the ideas of my fellow students implemented.

Is there anything you would like to change at your school? As a school, we always want to better ourselves not only for the benefit of our fellow students, but the whole Merrifield community as a whole. I would love it if we could garner more support for the sporting side of Merrifield that has gone under appreciated so far during my time here. We have made progress in this area recently, but I think we need to keep pushing this area of our school.

What do you love the most about your school? It’s definitely the feeling of family you get when you pass through the gates. The teachers show genuine concern for you and your work, and delight in your triumphs as well as support you in your failures. Not only the teachers, but the students too. There’s a sense of community in the school that I don’t think I would find anywhere else.

Matric is your final year, from an academic point of view, what are you aiming for? Unrealistically speaking, I’m aiming for the very best academic year I possibly can. University acceptance into my chosen degree (whatever that might be) is very important to take the next steps into my future.

What will you message of encouragement be for your prefects/co-leaders? I think it would be to not get bogged down by the frustrations of our current context. Although the last years have been difficult, we have also been given wonderful opportunities to do things we never thought possible. As leaders of the school, we can do so much with our last year(s) here, so we might as well make the best of it.

Who is your role model? There are so many people that I respect and I would love to follow in any of their footsteps, but right now the first person that comes to mind is my brother. Being 8 years older than me, I’ve really learned a lot about life from watching him live his, and to have a big brother with such good, strong qualities has been a blessing.

What are your plans after matric in 2023? Honestly, going to university is the only path that’s occurred to me, so it’s the only plan I have right now.

If you could be any superhero, who do you want to be and why? 100% the Flash, I don’t think there’s any downside to super speed.

On a regular Saturday, you will find me at home with Fifa.

Who is your Hollywood celeb crush? Margot Robbie.

Pick one:

• Netball, rugby, cricket, or hockey? Hockey
• Cappuccino, hot chocolate, or tea? Tea
• Braai with friends or takeaways? Takeaways
• Binge watching series or a live music festival? Series
• Android or iOS? iOS