Miss-Delectable
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Deaf islander finds pathway to ambition - Local News - Waikato Times
A helping hand in Hamilton may soon extend to help deaf Vanuatu children.
The Pathways College at Waikato University recently came to the aid of Leniker Thomas, 21, when it heard the profoundly deaf Ni-Vanuatu man was having trouble getting into a secondary school because of his age.
Mr Thomas came to New Zealand with his mother, Andrina Thomas, who received a NZAid scholarship to complete her PhD in governance.
Mr Thomas has been deaf since contracting meningitis when he was three.
"I was thinking I had made a mistake coming here," Mrs Thomas said.
"We tried most of the schools in Hamilton and Leniker was just stuck at home all day."
Mrs Thomas said her son's level of education lagged behind that of others of his age because there are no special education schools in Vanuatu.
Mrs Thomas moved to Fiji in 2001 to do her bachelor and master's degree.
The move meant Leniker was able to attend a deaf school, but to adjust to the new system of teaching he had to repeat years he had completed in Vanuatu.
As a result, he was at year-11 level when he got to New Zealand in January.
"Someone at the Pathways course, who had a compassionate ear, met with us and accepted Leniker to study there," Mrs Thomas said.
The university's Pathways College is a bridging programme which prepares students for degree studies.
Mr Thomas has been studying accounting, English, economics and language skills and passed with good marks in his first semester.
Next year he will begin studying for a teaching degree.
Long-term, he aims to start a deaf school on Vanuatu so children there will have opportunities denied him.
Mr Thomas said his mother was his inspiration and he aimed to complete a masters and PhD, as she has done.
A helping hand in Hamilton may soon extend to help deaf Vanuatu children.
The Pathways College at Waikato University recently came to the aid of Leniker Thomas, 21, when it heard the profoundly deaf Ni-Vanuatu man was having trouble getting into a secondary school because of his age.
Mr Thomas came to New Zealand with his mother, Andrina Thomas, who received a NZAid scholarship to complete her PhD in governance.
Mr Thomas has been deaf since contracting meningitis when he was three.
"I was thinking I had made a mistake coming here," Mrs Thomas said.
"We tried most of the schools in Hamilton and Leniker was just stuck at home all day."
Mrs Thomas said her son's level of education lagged behind that of others of his age because there are no special education schools in Vanuatu.
Mrs Thomas moved to Fiji in 2001 to do her bachelor and master's degree.
The move meant Leniker was able to attend a deaf school, but to adjust to the new system of teaching he had to repeat years he had completed in Vanuatu.
As a result, he was at year-11 level when he got to New Zealand in January.
"Someone at the Pathways course, who had a compassionate ear, met with us and accepted Leniker to study there," Mrs Thomas said.
The university's Pathways College is a bridging programme which prepares students for degree studies.
Mr Thomas has been studying accounting, English, economics and language skills and passed with good marks in his first semester.
Next year he will begin studying for a teaching degree.
Long-term, he aims to start a deaf school on Vanuatu so children there will have opportunities denied him.
Mr Thomas said his mother was his inspiration and he aimed to complete a masters and PhD, as she has done.