Name: Nura
Background: 15 year old Nura fled a country ravaged by continuous wars to begin a dangerous and difficult journey to safety. Several years later, Nura is now studying Medicine at a university in the UK.
What would you do if upon completing high school you were faced with two choices, neither of which you wanted to do? To either undertake compulsory military service in a country ravaged by continuous wars with neighbouring countries or to marry and begin a family.
These were the options that Nura faced as a 15-year-old girl living in rural Eritrea.
Instead, in the dead of night Nura left her village and Mother behind and began a dangerous and difficult journey through Sudan, Egypt, Italy and France to finally enter the UK; a country where she knew no one and did not speak English, to claim refugee status in this country.
Fast forward seven years and Nura has just taken her Graded Examination in Spoken English (GESE) Grade 5 (B1) Secure English Language Test (SELT) with Trinity College London, passing with distinction. The final piece of the puzzle, after a long journey, to complete her UK visa application and gain her British citizenship.
Nura’s experience with Trinity was great:
“The examiner made it relaxing and it was just like having a chat with someone who wants to know more about you.”
Her advice to anyone getting ready to take their SELT with Trinity is to choose a topic they are passionate about, then the conversation will naturally flow.
Nura’s journey from Eritrea to the UK and from not speaking any English to now studying Medicine at University is a remarkable one. Her ambition now is to concentrate on her studies to be in a position for the future where she can help others through her work and eventually be able to reunite with her Mum:
“Back home I felt I didn't have any options but in the UK there are so many.”
“The examiner made it relaxing and it was just like having a chat with someone who wants to know more about you.”
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