A design graduate who joined De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) through Clearing is now on the verge of starting her own company after graduating with a first.
Gabriella Huck, 27, originally joined DMU in 2018 to study the Art Foundation degree course where she had “such a good experience” she made the decision to stay at DMU and applied to do the Textile Design course through Clearing.
She said: “I had such a good experience in my foundation year and the facilities are fantastic. There was something about it that just made me want to stay at DMU.
“I also live locally and I wanted somewhere I could commute to; the whole package was a really good option for me.”
As Gabriella’s plans to go elsewhere had changed, she realised her best option was to go through Clearing.
She said: “The whole thing was really easy, after I applied through Clearing I just spoke to the course leader for the Textile Design course and because I had done my foundation at DMU it was really easy to sort out, they couldn’t have been more helpful.
“I have just finished my degree this year and going through Clearing to stay at DMU is the best decision I have ever made, I have absolutely loved it.”
Gabriella cannot speak highly enough of her time at DMU, the course, tutors and opportunities she has been given.
She added: “The best part about DMU is the facilities and having that access to all the print space. The facilities are always improving too.
“All the teachers are really encouraging in terms of trying to find your own design path, they don’t tie you into having a style, you can be really individual and creative. I cannot recommend it enough.”
Graduating this year with a First-Class Honours degree, Gabriella is already freelancing and in the process of pursing her dream to set up her own creative business.
Having graduated with top marks during a global pandemic, she said her experience with online teaching and digital delivery has actually given her an advantage in the industry.
She said, “I have been on campus during the last year we have been in bubbles so there are only really five students I have seen all year and the rest has been online,” she said.
“Yes, Covid has made things different but it’s also been quite good, moving forward into the industry a lot of it will be online or digital for creative spaces, so getting to grips with doing things more digitally this year has actually been beneficial for me and my future career.”
For anyone who has a change of plans or finds themselves going through Clearing Gabriella said: “Hard work pays off, all Clearing stories are different, but things change and Clearing can help you get to where you want to be.”
Posted on Monday 12 July 2021