When Mehrtash Lotfian arrived in England from Iran in 1998 he could not speak a word of English.
He admits that at times it was a struggle settling into his home in Deanery Close, East Finchley, and his school Christ Church in Warnham Road, North Finchley. It all proved worthwhile on Thursday last week when the 16-year-old scored one A*, three As, four Bs and one C in his GCSEs.
"When I came here it was not to have an easy life, it was to work hard," Mehrtash beamed after picking up his results. "It was not easy at first there were some hard times but you settle in and find yourself new friends.
"I came to England in 1998 and didn't speak any English at all. My parents wanted me to get a good education.
"It has been hard work but my aim was to come here and do my studying, so I have achieved what I wanted. If you have a passion for something that drives you on," Mehrtash beamed after picking up his results.
Remarkably Mehrtash, who already has an A-level in Persian, achieved Bs in both English literature and language. And he is not resting on his laurels. "Hopefully I can get into one of the top universities Oxford, Cambridge or Imperial College," he added.
August 22, 2002 16:00
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