Quake-hit students rank high in national exams

ISTANBUL

Despite facing challenges and traumas from losing their families, relatives and homes in the deadly February quakes, many quake survivor students have achieved outstanding results in high school and university entrance exams, allowing them to enroll in the country's best educational institutions.

In the 11 southern provinces jolted by the massive quakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, 5 million children were affected. While efforts were underway to heal the wounds of quake victims, some tent and container classrooms were set up for a portion of students preparing for the high school and university exams.

As most of the schools in these provinces were either destroyed during the quakes, demolished by officials due to the extent of their damages, or were closed due to their risk of collapsing, millions of students were deprived of education for months while also dealing with the trauma of losing their houses and loved ones.

Despite the series of adversities, many earthquake-stricken students achieved successful results in the exams.

Yusuf Yıldız, one of the survivor students who ardently prepared for the university exam in a single tent where he took shelter with his six siblings and relatives in the quake-hit İskenderun district, succeeded by ranking 18th in the country.

While speaking to local media, Yıldız said that his first choice was studying medicine at Gazi University and that he studied nearly seven hours a day to achieve his goal.

Ahmet Yiğit Polat, another quake survivor, stated that even though witnessing the hardships of the people around him has affected him greatly, he still managed to pursue his dreams, and score full 500 points in the high school entrance exams.

“I was rewarded for my efforts by maintaining my determination. I enrolled in Istanbul High School and plan to study electrical and electronics engineering in Germany after I graduate,” Polat said.