“The HND was my stepping-stone to university - something I never thought possible for me. It was a bumpy road because of the pandemic but thanks to the support from all my lecturers, I was able build on my existing skills and develop new skills in a range of areas.
“I feel confident about going to university as I am coming out of the HND course with greater skills and more knowledge and a much better understanding of what the industry has to offer me in terms of future career opportunities.”
The former Model School pupil said that although she taken a scenic route to university, the experience and skills developed along the way have given her a great foundation and she looks forward to building on this at Ulster University.
Sophie did A levels in Interaction Design, IT and Sports Studies and had originally planned to follow in the footsteps of her older sister Rebekah and do a Foundation Degree in Creative Media at Northern Regional College.
However, she didn’t have GCSE Maths and when she wasn’t offered a place on the Foundation Degree, Sophie decided to take a gap year. During her year out, she did a GCSE maths class on Fridays and took on a part time cleaning job in her old school.
Fortunately for Sophie, one thing led to another.
She explained: “One of the topics for A level IT was creating websites and coding and a temporary vacancy arose for a someone to look after the school’s website and graphic design requirements, I was offered the position.
“This was a great opportunity for me and when I was doing this work for the Model, I developed a strong interest in creative media and investigated how I could develop my skills further. The HND in Creative Media at Northern Regional College was ideal and exactly what I was looking for.”
When she completes her degree at Ulster, Sophie hopes to join Rebekah who has set up her own graphic design business.
Congratulating Sophie on securing her place in second year at university, Aaron Colton, co-ordinator of the HND in Creative Media said her creative skills and determination to succeed were a winning combination.
For anyone still weighing up their education HE or FE options, the good news is that there is still time to apply. The Advice Evenings are an ideal way to learn more about the full time and part time courses at Northern Regional College so drop in to any of the College’s campuses - in Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine, Magherafelt or Newtownabbey - on Thursday, September 2 between 4 and 6 pm to check out what’s available in your local area. For further information, go to www.nrc.ac.uk