World class karate, leadership, and a unique legacy

On top of being deputy head boy and a Diller Teen Fellow, King David Victory Park (KDVP) matriculant Ross Raven also represented South Africa three times at the World Shotokan Karate-Do Association Championships (WSKA) in 2019, 2022, and 2023. He was placed second in the world in 2023 in the Under-19 category. 

Raven said that being able to represent South Africa in these tournaments was something he will never forget, and though it was exciting, it was stressful as he wasn’t just representing himself, but the whole country. 

“It was an incredible experience. I met people from all over the world. I got to share my culture with them,” he said. “And it was also unbelievable because not only could I share my South African culture, I could share my Jewish identity with them, which people don’t really get to experience on an international level.” 

Raven didn’t just excel in karate, he demonstrated leadership skills as deputy head boy and Diller Teen Fellow. 

In fact, he said being a Diller Teen Fellow was the favourite part of his high school career. 

“It opened up opportunities for me that I wouldn’t have experienced had I just been a student leader or class representative,” he said. “It showed me what it means to be a real leader, not only in my school, but in life. And I got to experience a year of it.” 

The hardest part of his high school career was juggling all his responsibilities while excelling academically. 

“Balancing my school and social life was hardest for me. I almost fit everything into certain periods just to make sure that I could include everyone and myself in it,” he said. 

“I allocated time for specific things. I aimed to do everything in moderation. I would set time aside for schoolwork and training. I’d make sure that I organised things so they wouldn’t overlap with each other. I would put aside things – sometimes I would put aside karate training for Diller and sometimes put aside schoolwork for karate, but I tried to make sure that my time management was good enough that I could do everything and be fully committed to all of it.” 

When he put his pen down for the final time, he couldn’t believe that he had completed 13 years of school and that he was one of the last matriculants from KDVP. 

Though he is sad that KDVP is closing after more than 60 years, Raven said, “It’s also quite fulfilling to know that the legacy pretty much ends with us. It’s ending with me, my friends, my entire grade. What’s being left behind is us.” 

Raven, who got four distinctions, will study commercial law at the University of the Witwatersrand. In karate, he plans to go for his Second Dan grading soon.