Aimhigher Award
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19 year old asylum seeker at Northbrook College has proved an inspiration to all by receiving an Adult Learner award from Aimhigher.
Ali Ahmadi, came to Britain as an asylum seeker from Afghanistan in 2005 after his family were killed in the war. Ali, who now lives in Worthing, was unable to read and write as he couldn’t afford to attend school and had no knowledge of English when he arrived.
Ali's story impressed the judges, given his progression from having no knowledge of English to making commendable progress with his ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) studies. In little over a year he has progressed from his ESOL studies to taking an NVQ in Mechanical Engineering and wants to continue learning to improve his future.
Ali was nominated by his tutor, Carol Fitzgerald, who said "Ali is remarkable in that he tries to put his past behind him and to make a new life for himself. He is caring, friendly, considerate and quick to help his peers if they have problems. He is keen to do extra work to improve his English and his progression to studying for an NVQ is a considerable achievement"
Aimhigher is a national initiative to encourage young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to go on to higher education. Chris Derbyshire from Aimhigher presented Ali with a framed certificate and £200 voucher for educational use. Chris said, “Ali has only been in the country for three years. This is a very considerable achievement.”
For a 19 year old, Ali has had an extraordinary amount to contend with and Northbrook is proud to have aided his progression. Ali thanked his teachers for helping him to learn English and complete his NVQ. He summed up his experience by saying "Learning is the meaning of life. If you can read and write your eyes come open."
PHOTOS:
Top: Ali Ahmadi (right) receiving his certificate from Chris Derbyshire (left)
Above: Ali with his tutors (left to right) Phil Becket, Glyn Lewis (Engineering), Jacky Weynberg (ESOL)