Currently working on the frontline, Old Girl Aba Swatson (Class of 2011) is an outgoing lady with a passion for life and all that it has to offer. She values her family, friends and her personal well-being and is always striving to be better.
Aba left St John’s D.S.G. to study Medicine at UCT. She then went on to complete her 2 years of Internship in Durban and finally finished up with her Community Service year at a rural district hospital in Northern KwaZulu-Natal. During these years, Aba tried to inject her passion for travelling and the arts in order to balance out the intensity and sometimes consumptive nature of her career. All this hard work has definitely paid off as she is now a qualified Medical Officer saving lives!
We loved catching up with Aba for this month’s Heart-to-Heart and we are so proud of what she has achieved since leaving St John’s D.S.G.
What did you love most about St John’s D.S.G?
I remember interviewing at St John’s D.S.G. for Grade 8, and at the end of it, all I wanted to know was: “Will there be school trips?” I’m really thrilled that we had an opportunity (sometimes more than one) each year to travel and learn about History and Geography, but most times it was really just to have sleepovers with our school mates. The most challenging trip of course being uHambo, which instilled a strong sense of discipline, resilience and leadership in me which are invaluable characteristics that I still rely on today.
I love the friendships that I made at St John’s D.S.G. and the relationships I formed with my teachers. Most notably, Ms Beattie who I’m still in contact with today. I love that I was pushed to explore not only the Sciences but the Arts too. I was able to develop passions at school that I still hold close to my heart today. The school helped me to hone my strengths and overcome obstacles that I placed before myself. The friendships I created have stuck with me until today and I’m grateful for these. I’m grateful that St John’s D.S.G. was a safe space for me to grow and form the foundations of who I am today.
What does success mean to you and how did St John’s D.S.G. equip you for life after school?
Success to me means having the courage to believe you can live a full life (no matter how many tries you take or how long it takes you to get there) and the discernment to step away from anything that is not in alignment with the goals you set for yourself. I think I left St Johns D.S.G. having developed a good work ethic, a strong sense of community and a healthy exposure to leadership.
What advice do you have for our current girls and their families?
This piece of advice stems from my own experience and is really targeted at anyone who might relate. I grappled a lot with my own sense of identity as an adolescent/young adult and at times felt like a bit of an outlier at school. I would say to the girls that senior school can be quite tough because you’re going through a lot of changes and trying to figure out who you are and how you fit into this world, as well as striving to excel academically or in sports. So, go easy on yourself. Try to be mindful and give yourself grace when you need it. As cliché and cringe worthy as it may sound: don’t give up, things really do get better with time.
Parents, be supportive of your girls as they navigate young adulthood and be patient with their respective journeys. Cheer them on with every little achievement and marvel at how they bloom over the 5 years! I found that St John’s D.S.G. was a school that really paid attention to the holistic well-being of its students; it was definitely a worthwhile experience.
