Ali Ahmadi, 19, who came to Britain from Afghanistan in 2005 after his family were killed in the war, has been presented with the award by Aimhigher.

Ali, who now lives in Worthing, was unable to read and write when he arrived in the town, as he couldn't afford to go to school and had no knowledge of English.

His story impressed the judges, given his progression from having no knowledge of English to making commendable progress with his English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) studies.

And 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 said: "Learning is the meaning of life. If you can read and write, your eyes come open."

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.

He said: "Ali has only been in the country for three years. This is a very considerable achievement."

-------------------------------------
Click here to go back to Worthing news.

Where are you? Add your pin to the Herald's international readers' map by clicking here.

Email the Herald: letters@worthingherald.co.uk