From Afghanistan to Eton ... via Hull
A SIRIUS Academy pupil has become one of the first in Hull to be offered a full scholarship to one of the UK's top schools.
Rohid Zamani, 16, will head to Eton in September to do his A levels after beating competition from a thousand other pupils to gain the full scholarship.
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Bright future: Rohid Zamani at Sirius Academy, Hull
This covers the £30,000-a-year fees.
He will also receive a £1,500 bursary to help towards the school uniform and other expenses.
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Rohid navigated four days of interviews and tests to gain the scholarship at Eton, where he will study maths, biology, chemistry and physics.
He said: "I was approached by the school to see if I wanted to apply for the scholarship.
"I spoke to my parents, who were sceptical at first, but we decided it was too good an opportunity to turn down.
"I was one of 18 from about 1,000 to go down for a four-day interview.
"We had a maths and general knowledge test and then a verbal and non-verbal reasoning test, which I'd never done before.
"Luckily, I was picked so I must have done OK."
Rohid hopes the scholarship will pave the way for him to become a surgeon.
He said: "I really liked art when I was younger but I felt there was a better career in the sciences.
"I would like to do medicine and become a surgeon. I like the idea of doing something which helps others."
Rohid was born in Afghanistan and moved to Hull when he was three years old. The experience of life in the war-torn country is a real motivation.
"I was born when war was raging in Afghanistan and al Qaeda were around," said Rohid.
"I remember my mum was ill in bed and my aunty came round and told her to get up and walk around a bit.
"Moments after she got up, a bomb went off and shattered the windows.
"The shards of glass fell on the bed. If my mum had been there she would have been dead.
"Knowing what we escaped drives me on and coming to England was a massive opportunity for us."
While a daunting prospect, Rohid, of Sanley Street, is looking forward to Eton.
He said: "It's a huge step, a bit like going to university two years early.
"But so long as I keep busy I will be able to adapt.
"I will miss my family and friends but this is too big an opportunity to pass up."
Adam Rust has been Rohid's teacher for several years.
He said: "I was head of Year 7 when he started and then head of the house he was in. I'm also his PE teacher.
"When I first met him he was very shy.
"He was very athletic and, when he joined the rugby league club at the school, he gained a lot of confidence and made new friends.
"He was offered deals with both Hull FC and KR but he had to give up due to a shoulder injury.
"He also holds the school record for the triple jump.
"Rohid has come on so much and is now a very confident young man.
"Hopefully, he can raise the aspirations of other students and be a role model."
Councillor O'Mullane, the city council's portfolio holder for children's services, praised Rohid for getting the scholarship.
She said: "I am delighted that a student from one of the city's new academies has been awarded a bursary and scholarship at Eton College.
"I hope the success that Rohid has achieved will inspire other students and I wish Rohid continued success as he begins his studies at the prestigious college."
39 Comments
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by Mildred
Saturday, February 23 2013, 1:58PM
“And Adoins, to a certain degree, I agree. However, he will become an asset to this country. And the kid I spoke of before whom I used to teach, probably will, too. His parents could not speak English. When they attended parents' evening, he came too and interpreted. However, they cared enough to come and see me. Clearly while this lad's parents cannot speak English, they embrace England and have cared enough to see him through the most important years of his life. That, in itself, should outweigh their failings elsewhere.”
by Mildred
Saturday, February 23 2013, 1:55PM
“Missfoodlove - sorry, my misunderstanding. Granted, a true "socialist" should not support public schools, but there is very little margin between the left and the right in politics these days, is there!??!”
by adoins
Friday, February 22 2013, 1:40PM
“his parents have lived in (and off us ) in Hull for 12 years and they cant speak a word of English !!!!! disgusting !!!!”
by Missfoodlove
Friday, February 22 2013, 12:14AM
“Mildred,
I did not put forward an opinion on public school, I was merely surprised at VicMays post saying she was a socialist and then saying she agreed with public school.
Another poster then pointed out that VicMay perhaps misunderstood the term public school and thought that meant state school.
Says it all really!”
by Mildred
Thursday, February 21 2013, 10:05PM
“Missfoodlove:
""VicMay,
I have just read your post again and am sure we are at cross purposes. You state that a public school education served you and your child well, you then say that every child deserves the chance of a good career regardless of ability to pay.
So as a socialist who was paid for to go to school and then went on to pay for your child to go to school, how can you say everyone should have the chance despite the ability to pay?"
I fully agree that every child SHOULD have the chance of a good career regardless of parental income, and ability to pay for an education, but the fact is the poor standard of schools in Hull, and the sub-working class riff-raff that pollute them, and whose sub-animalistic behaviour stops the teachers from doing their job and the decent minority from getting on mean that private education is realistically the best way forwards. It served my sister and me well. I cannot imagine either of us would have flourished in a state school where we would have been bullied senseless for not wanting to sit in the front garden of a council house drinking Kestrel lager and taking drugs while decent, honest folk paid for us to exist.
I used to teach - but gave it up as a bad job in 2002. In 2001, post 9/11, there was an influx of Afghan asylum seekers in the UK, and I had one Afghan kid in one of my classes. He was the best student, the most enthusiastic, and the hardest working. He put all the others to shame. And when parents' evening came, his were one of three sets of parents interested enough to attend, and to see the pride on their faces was heart-warming.”
by TheMarketX
Thursday, February 21 2013, 10:31AM
“Well done! I think this is a great news story and one in the eye for those nutters the Taliban. I hope he flourishes at Eton and takes all the opportunities that come his way. He IS a British Citizen now and we should be proud of him.”
by Spain2010
Thursday, February 21 2013, 4:08AM
“This is a brilliant story and not just one for the people of Hull to be proud about, but Britian to be proud about. I'm living in the UAE where your sex and place of birth has a significant impact on your ability to get a job. This is a good thing about Britain that (most of the time!) you are judged on your ability and not sex or race. Very well done and congratulations Rohid and well done the staff at Sirius for opening the door.”
by Missfoodlove
Wednesday, February 20 2013, 11:41PM
“Philip29'
I hadn't thought of that, I had assumed that it was expression anybody who read a newspaper or listened to the news would be familiar with, it has been banded around rather a lot recently with regard to Clegg, Cameron and Boris.”
by Philp29
Wednesday, February 20 2013, 11:26PM
“Missfoodlove - I could be wrong but I imagine when VicMay says she/he attended public school, they actually mean state school. To be fair, in this context 'public' is a misleading term.”
by Missfoodlove
Wednesday, February 20 2013, 8:50PM
“Hugostiglitz,
I think in this case the charity has gone to the most deserving! The scholarship has been offered on the basis of merit and finally Rohid may not have been born here but is possibly a British citizen.”