WHEN Besmellah Rahimi lived in Afghanistan his focus was on one thing – staying alive.
But since moving to Australia in 2006, the Cranbourne teenager has been able to focus his time on study and getting an education and it seems all his hard work has paid off.
Besmellah, known as Bes, was last year named Dux of Cranbourne Secondary College with an ATAR score of 96.15, an outstanding achievement having only received a formal education during his time in Australia.
He has now also been awarded a $30,000 scholarship over five years at Monash University for his biomedical science and engineering course.
Bes said he was thankful for the opportunities this country had provided him.
“In Afghanistan I didn’t go to school,” he said.
“We just had to stay inside and couldn’t go outside.
“If we had to go outside you didn’t know if you’d ever come back alive.
“In Australia, we know we have a good chance of living tomorrow and into the future.
“I can study, and flourish and have opportunities.
“Here we don’t have to worry about if we are going to die tomorrow, but just worry about making a life for ourselves.
“I’m so fortunate to be here – it’s the best country in the world.”
Bes was born and grew up in Afghanistan where he never went to school.
He came to Australia as a refugee in 2006 and settled in South Australia with his family.
It was in South Australia that Bes was accepted into a soccer academy, where he started to receive his first form of education.
“The focus was on soccer, but we did get some other education as well,” he said.
Bes spoke no English before coming to Australia and it was hear that he started to learn the language.
In 2009, his family moved to Cranbourne and Bes started at Cranbourne Secondary College.
Bes said he was proud he achieved Dux but wasn’t really to fazed by it.
“You just work hard and hope to get the score to get into the course you want,” he said.
“That’s all that really matters. I would have liked to do even better.”
