More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A Syrian refugee who arrived in Kent with no more than one or two words of English is now beginning his study for a career in architecture.
Omar Alsalih fled his war-torn homeland with his parents and four siblings, and after arriving here in 2017 he started school at Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre in Tenterden.
During his studies at the school he managed to pass a number of GCSEs and further qualifications in maths, finance and ceramics.
His interest in architecture was sparked by his study of ceramics, and now the 20-year-old has taken up a place at Brighton University on a foundation course in architecture.
"What inspired me was how much thought was required to plan and design beautiful miniature houses to ensure they remained structurally strong," he said.
"In addition, the practical nature of creating something by hand from a design and the ability to see the finished piece of work held great appeal as well as the beauty of designing and matching the house to its surroundings."
"One day I want to go back to Syria to help in the rebuilding process there..."
Omar's younger brother and sister - who came with the family as part of the UK Syrian resettlement scheme - are amongst a number of refugee children from Syria currently studying at Homewood.
He has been able to take up his place at university thanks to a bursary funded by a group of barristers in London which was donated through the Tunbridge Wells Welcomes Refugees initiative.
Reflecting on his ambitions as an architect, he said: "In the future, I would like to be able to design and build unique houses that are both environmentally friendly and structurally sound - initially here in the UK, but one day I want to go back to Syria to help in the rebuilding process there."
