JORDAN MOSHE
The book’s longest chapter was devoted to education, stressing its importance. He moved schools six times, was held back a year, and was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) early on at school. In spite of this, Da Costa emerged from his matric year with six distinctions.
“I always compare myself to others, but not in the typical way,” says Da Costa. “I look at their achievements, and use them to motivate me to strive and learn as much as I can.”
After starting his journey at Yeshiva College, it was in Grade 2 that he first encountered academic difficulties. Da Costa was enrolled at Bellavista School at the beginning of Grade 3. While he felt more at ease surrounded by people with similar challenges and teachers willing to assist, he didn’t like the idea of being at a remedial school.
“While I did cope with the work, and felt at home in that space, it was when I went into other spaces with people my age that I felt awkward. I was young, but I knew I could be as good as my friends who were attending regular schools. This feeling took its toll on my performance.”
Da Costa transferred to King David Victory Park (KDVP), where he had to redo the year. He was somewhat at odds with his younger classmates, and in spite of settling in and even taking up school sports, he moved once again, and enrolled back at Yeshiva College during the third term of his Grade 5 year.
“I felt socially out of place at KDVP,” he says. “I’d see my friends who were still at Yeshiva, and felt I wanted to go back there. I had also developed a religious appreciation which wasn’t really [being] satisfied, and thought that Yeshiva would provide it.”
Unfortunately, the age difference between him and his classmates at Yeshiva became a particularly sore point, creating a rift between them. “They behaved like children do, and excluded me in so many ways. They kept away from me, making the distance caused by the age difference even worse.”
Da Costa bore this exclusion for a few years, going all out to improve his academic performance along the way. When he reached Grade 9, however, he stopped to wonder whether he should press on under such trying circumstances. “I asked myself whether I wanted to be surrounded by such people. What sort of environment did I want to expose myself to, especially in light of my drive to perform better?” he says.
Once again, Da Costa transferred during the third term of the academic year, completing Grade 9 at King David Linksfield. Taking up cricket and rugby, finding like-minded friends and a niche in which he finally felt at home, he forged ahead and progressed through senior high school.
“I was used to averages of 60-65,” he says. “I pushed myself, and eventually received my first A ever in Grade 11. While it was exciting, it wasn’t really a surprise. I felt proud not because of the mark, but because my efforts were paying off.”
At the end of 2017, Da Costa tore a knee ligament while playing rugby – an injury that has since prevented him from playing sport. “I always identified myself through sport, but once that was gone, I didn’t really know who I was,” he says. “My plans to join the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) after school wouldn’t work out, and I wouldn’t be able to play rugby.”
Changing his perspective, he seized the chance to enhance his school performance. His zeal would produce four As in his first prelims, and resulted in him becoming one of the top three in business studies in the second prelims and being awarded a medal for academics at the matric prize giving.
“I improved my marks in increments. I would gain a percent or two, and then plateau, then increase a little more. It was gruelling and slow, but it was worth it.”
Having emerged with six distinctions and an 83% average in his finals, Da Costa says his story may look like a dramatic change of fortune from the outside, but it was a slow, challenging process inside.
“These things take time,” he says. “I don’t look at myself and see a miracle, but someone who progressed slowly, and made something out of a difficult situation. For me, concessions and remedial allowances were excuses that I could use to not try [as hard as I should]. I pitted myself against the top academic achievers and saw myself as one of them, not as a remedial child.”
Da Costa’s grandfather would be proud.
