An Art & Design student from Solihull College & University Centre has excelled in her studies as she works towards starting her illustration degree at university next year.
Eliza Wright, 18 from Solihull, has spoken of her growth both as a student and a person since joining the Art & Design Foundation Diploma at the College. This one–year standalone course is designed to bridge the gap between college and university.
“I’ve really enjoyed the course and would say it’s the happiest I’ve ever been in education,” she states. “Despite the normality of the course being disrupted by COVID, we’ve still managed to produce some amazing work and it’s been a really enjoyable year, especially with the help of our amazing tutors – we’ve all achieved so much.”
Having opted out of her A-Levels at sixth form, the foundation course was recommended by a former student, and Eliza has blossomed ever since. She comments: “I went from being completely lost and unsure about my future to thriving in education and looking forward to what the future holds. My experience here is completely different to anything I’ve done before. There are no restrictions and no wrong way of doing things. You have complete creative freedom!”
Eliza is set to embark upon an exciting new journey at university in September to study a degree in illustration. She explains: “I’m still keeping things pretty open, but I hope to use my degree to someday either become a full-time illustrator or perhaps a tattoo artist. Without this foundation course I can guarantee I would not have this unconditional offer for university. This foundation year has improved my skills drastically and given me a chance to create a really strong portfolio.”
Eliza is keen to encourage others who may be considering their options to pursue Art & Design at the College: “I would 100% recommend this course to anyone. This course has helped me find myself and moulded me into the completely independent person I am today. Not only have I improved my skills and found my calling in life, but I’ve grown up so much. This course will change you in the best way possible and you’ll leave a more independent, skilled person.”
Eliza has also been using the skills learnt on her course to create art-related products to sell online, including jewellery, tote bags, mugs and more. One of the main themes of the products she has created is breaking down gender stereotypes. Find out more via Eliza’s website – https://elizawright.tumblr.com/.
Eliza took part in a recent Facebook Live event discussing the course. You can find the discussion below.
