Disabled students live up to Achieve 2B promise

Tash Astill was the first student to experiencing living in another place and family under the Achieve2B programme.

Tash Astill is thrilled to have been a trailblazer in the Achieve2B - or A2B - exchange programme for students with disabilities.

The 15-year-old is the first teenager to take part in the project aimed at giving students who might not otherwise qualify for an exchange experience.

Last weekend Tash returned to her home in Auckland's eastern suburbs after living for a month with the Redfern family at Mangapai and going to Whangarei Girls' High School.

"I found it very enjoyable," she said of the experience.

"I made friends very easily and enjoyed the different cultures and lifestyle. The other students and everyone I've met have been friendly and welcoming."

Arriving in Whangarei was a surprise as Tash had imagined it would be a smaller town.

While she loved living in the rural Mangapai location, it took a little while to get used to the idea there wasn't a huge city around the corner.

"I didn't get homesick at all though, and I liked being with a bigger family that had four children."

At home she has a twin sister and no other siblings.

Tash also did volunteer work one afternoon a week at the North Hospice Shop, in keeping with Achieve 2B requiring its students to take part in community and charity activities.

She enjoyed the experience and staff said she did a great job, quickly becoming at ease with staff and customers.

But it isn't the retail sector that this teenager has her future sights on; she intends working in the food and hospitality industry.

Next to her great passion for dance, her favourite pastime is cooking, especially baking.

Tash has travelled a lot with her family, and sees her desire to work in the food industry sitting well with a growth in tourism.

At WGHS Tash took dance, fabrics and hospitality along with core subjects.

She was born with fetal valproat syndrome which has caused some learning difficulties.

"Everything worked out just perfectly," said Achieve2B founder Julia Hartshorne of the pilot programme she and others have worked on for two years to get to this stage.

She said Achieve 2B had worked closely with other agencies to overcome barriers to students living away from home.

"Achieve 2B has been able to put in all the ACC disability supports that Tash required," Ms Hartshorne said. "This included a teacher aide and home help."

Now that Tash's own home stay has ended, she will continue with Achieve 2B as an ambassador, a role she has already had a taste of by speaking to community service groups and writing about her experience.

She will also mentor future exchange students.

Whangarei student Dennon McQueen Foster, 17, is the first international ambassador in the programme.

This week Dennon travelled to his hosts Carly and Rob Lee's home at Mt Evelyn, on Melbourne's north-eastern outskirts.

He and Tash were guests of honour at a dinner last Thursday evening where their Whangarei friends, family and Achieve2B farewelled them; Tash as she headed back home, and Dennon as he headed away from home.