18-year-old inspiring Muslim gets into university despite caring for his severely sick mother and little sister

A young carer whose mother suffers from severe epilepsy and sister has Down Syndrome will become the first in his family to go to university as reported by Birmingham Mail in August, 2016.

Atif Kahn, who attends Moseley School, has a daily routine that involves checking first thing in the morning to see if his mother has had an epileptic attack during the night and ensures she has taken her medication.

On top of that, the 18-year-old cares for his five-year-old sister AND worked a part-time job at a local cash and carry.

But despite all his commitments at home, Atif gained a B in Maths, C in Chemistry and D in Psychology – and is off to study biomedical sciences at Wolverhampton University.

Although he missed out on his chosen Nottingham University by one grade he will now go through the clearing system.

Moseley School teamed up with education charity The Access Project which supports bright and motivated students but who face challenging home lives and one-to-one tuition in the subjects that students need most help with.

Atif’s tutor, Henry Hopcroft, is one of several volunteer tutors at Moseley School from Barclays, who each dedicate an hour of their time every week to boost the grades of motivated students.  He said:

“Right from the start it was clear that Atif was a very intelligent and capable student with a real passion for his subjects.

It was a pleasure to work with someone who was so motivated and driven to achieve, and who had real clarity about his goals and ambitions.”

Atif said: “I am disappointed to miss out on my chosen university by one grade but I am confident I will find a place through the clearing system. It has been a challenge for me but I have received great support from the school and Henry at The Access Project.”

Another Moseley School Muslim pupil Omar Mostafa, who moved to Birmingham from Egypt in 2010, is celebrating after earning the grades he required for a place at the University of Birmingham where he will study medicine.

Omar gained an A* in Maths and A’s in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Omar, who has volunteered his time working at the Royal Orthaepedic Hospital in Birmingham for the last year, wants to study Oncology after his Egyptian grandmother died of cancer when he was very young.

May Allah continue to bless these young men and all others who are striving hard in their studies.