From a curious girl who first walked through Union High’s gates in Grade 1, Samantha Charles has consistently set the standard for excellence and, on Friday, took home the school’s highest academic honour as the 2026 Dux Learner – among several other accolades!
Graaff-Reinet, South Africa (13 October 2026) – It is that time of the year when schools across the country hold special prize-giving ceremonies to recognise and celebrate their brightest learners and the academic, cultural, and sporting excellence they have shown throughout the year. In the old town of Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape, Union High School’s Samantha Charles has given her school quite the academic journey to celebrate.
From a little learner who first walked through Union’s gates in Grade 1, she is today the young lady who holds the school’s highest academic honour!
At Friday evening’s Senior Prize-Giving Ceremony, Samantha brought her twelve-year journey at Union High to a fitting close when she was named the school’s Dux Learner for 2026. In addition to receiving the prestigious Luckhoff Memorial Prize as the top academic achiever in Grade 12, Samantha also walked away with an impressive collection of subject prizes, including:
- The Bloemhof Prize for Life Sciences
- The GBG Prize for Accounting
- The Old Unionite Prize for Physical Sciences
- The Max Kroon Prize for Mathematics
- The UHS Prize for English
She was also presented with the Tony Burrell Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement, as well as the Irene & Robert Prinsloo Accounting Bursary for Further Study.
According to the school, Samantha has always set and maintained a high standard for herself, both in the classroom and in her contributions to school life. Not only was her string of achievements on prize-giving night a testament to this, but it also served as the brilliant cherry on top of an academic record that has made everyone sit up and take notice.
Earlier this year, she was presented with Union’s highly coveted white blazer in recognition of her exceptional academic performance, having maintained an average of 90% throughout Grades 10 and 11.
“In doing so, she became only the sixth Unionite to receive this prestigious Honours Award since its introduction in 2004. It is an honour reserved for very few and one that speaks volumes about the consistency and commitment behind her achievements. What makes Samantha’s story particularly lovely is that she is also an A-10 Unionite, having spent her entire school career, from Grade 1 through to Grade 12, at Union,” shared the school with pride.
From those first days at Union Preparatory School Graaff-Reinet, to standing on stage as the Dux Learner, Samantha has grown up within the Union family. Along the way, she has also involved herself in school life and served her fellow learners as a prefect.
As she looks ahead to a bright future, Samantha leaves behind an academic record she can be proud of and one that will serve as an example to the younger Unionites following in her footsteps.
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