College awards scholarships to tsunami victims

TWO Thai students who were among those affected by the tsunami disaster in south-east Asia late last year have been awarded year-long scholarships by Waterford Institute of Technology.

Thepsuda Julsam-Ang, 22, and Pennapa Wuttimanop, 28, were left devastated when the tsunami struck their native Phuket on December 26 last.

The disaster left their families unable to fund their education.

Thepsuda Julsam-Ang was forced to cut short her undergraduate studies at Rajabhat Phuket University.

However, with support from the Phuket International Women’s Club and Waterford Institute of Technology, her dreams and those of Pennapa Wuttimanop of pursuing their studies in Ireland have been kept alive.

Thepsuda is in her second year of a course in Hotel and Catering Supervision in Waterford while Pennapa is studying social care having worked with a charity in Thailand that supported AIDS-orphaned children.

Waterford Institute of Technology director Prof Kieran R Byrne said no one who watched the television images from Thailand in the aftermath of the tsunami can fail to have been struck by the utter devastation that this huge force of nature left behind.

“Powerful though that was, the human spirit is stronger yet and that is very evident from these two fine young people who have made such a bold move in relocating to Ireland to continue their education here in Waterford,” he said.

“If there was any good to come from the tragic events in south-east Asia on St Stephen’s Day last it was how they united Irish people and others around the world in a determination to offer every possible support to those most directly affected.

“For our part, the Waterford Institute now welcomes Thepsuda and Pennapa as cherished members of the Institute family. Indeed, this is especially fitting given the primacy that we place on personal development in what is a student-centred Institute.”

For her part, Thepsuda has joined Pennapa in thanking the Institute’s staff and students for their support since they arrived in Ireland and offered some observations on her experience to date.

“People in Waterford are friendly and kind to me,” she said.

“My English is not so good and sometimes I don’t understand when lecturers speak but I have two best friends in class. They always help me when I don’t understand or if I can’t write something. In my class there are 13 students and they are friendly.”