University was never really something that I saw myself 100% doing, obviously I would have always liked to go to university and experience the life that people have there but I didn’t know that I was ready for that. I’d always absolutely loved photography and knew that it was something that I wanted to do as a career because it was something that I was passionate about. When it came to the end of my a levels, I had to start applying for universities and looking around them. I remember this being a really exciting time when it was for my sister, but for me I was never really sold on it because I’d persuaded myself that I wasn’t clever enough for it or I wouldn’t like it when I got there. Because of this, I deferred my place for a year so that I could travel and work for money for university. I’d say that this was probably one of my best decisions, purely because it gave me the time to figure out that what I was doing was right and that it was what I wanted. I guess, when I deferred I was just really scared that I would be missing out on something and be so behind all of my friends that went to university when they were ‘supposed to’. This couldn’t be further from the truth because, looking back on it now, I wouldn’t change a thing. Travelling taught me to be confident in what I was doing and where I was going as well as giving me the independence to walk alone and be confident that I was making the right decisions. 

If I hadn’t have deferred my place at university then I wouldn’t have met the people who have made me who I am today. I remember the first ever lecture with Kellie, where she sat us down and told us to look around the room “these people will be the ones to stick by you throughout your career and your personal life. You have found friends forever.’ And I can honestly say that that is the absolute truth. Before I came to university, I would have never imagined that I would meet a group of people that would inspire me so much to be a better person. I look back on my three years at Bath Spa and think about the amount of highs and lows that I wouldn’t have gotten through if it wasn’t for the people who i have met on this course. They make me want to be a better photographer and have pushed me to do so, not only having faith in my work but also me as a person. I feel so grateful to have them in my life and honestly couldn’t have wished to be put with a better year or with better lecturers. 

It’s so sad to think that it is all coming to an end now and I cannot believe how these past three years have flown by, I guess it’s so true when people say your university days are the best of your life. Not only am I grateful for the friends that I have made on my course for pushing me, but also to myself (I guess) for changing into the photographer who I am today. I would have never guessed that I would undertake the projects that I have done during university. The first one being my Street Pastor’s project, without it I wouldn’t be working for a charity as their photographer. This project gave me the confidence to go out and document the working lives of the street pastor’s and show how much they’re helping people within the city of Bath. This project was the turning point for me as it is the one that made me want to work within the charity sector, it also started my passion for documentary photography. 

The second project that shaped my photographic skills was ‘Centenary’ where I was inspired by the 100 year anniversary of women gaining the vote. I wanted this project to be a celebration of women so I decided to photograph 100 women in their homes and places where they felt most empowered. This project developed my communication skills and made me fall in love with portraiture. At the beginning of the project, it was clear to say I was amazing at portraits but I felt towards the end that I had a real understanding for how portraiture worked and who I was as a photographer. 

The next project, my first one of final year, Kinship was spurred on for my want of being involved in the charity sector. I worked closely with Cerebral Palsy Plus in Bristol to document the lives of three individuals living with Cerebral Palsy. I was so proud of how I worked on this project and the fact that people welcomed me in to their lives with open arms. They allowed me to document their every day lives and fully opened up to me about what it was like to live with/be living with Cerebral Palsy. I wanted this project to educate other’s and give people a voice and platform to speak. I guess I am genuinely really proud that I was able to do that. 

Finally, ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ is probably my proudest and hardest project rolled into one. I am so glad that this is the project that I will be leaving university with. There were many points within this project that I thought that I was taking on too much and wouldn’t be able to do it (this is where my friends and lecturers helped to push me and be there to tell me that I could). If it weren’t for this project, I would have never had the confidence to interview people in high powered jobs or walk up to people and stop them in the street to answer questions for me. This project led me to interviewing actual MP’s who have spoke in the houses of parliament and work closely with Theresa May, our prime minister. Looking back to the start of my university life, I would have never guessed that I would be ending on a project of this magnitude. I don’t mean to sound up myself but I am genuinely so proud of where I have come as a photographer and creative. I would have never thought that I would be able to produce a newspaper from scratch and all on my own after interviewing and photographing people on their political views?!

Even though my university experience is coming to an end, I will never forget what it has taught me and the people who have shaped me as a person and photographer. I will be forever grateful to my peers and my lecturers for continually pushing me and encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone because without them, I don’t think I would have gotten this far. Speaking to people from other courses and universities about my experience, they all seem so shocked at how much I speak about the influence that my year and lecturers have had on me but to me it is just normal? I have a lot to thank everyone for these past three years because I genuinely have felt so happy and proud to have been part of this year and so thankful that we have had such supportive lecturers to enable us to be who we are as we leave university. 

I leave with the best group of friends who I know will always be around to help with my career and everything outside of that, but also knowing that I have had the best lecturers as role models has given me the confidence to go out into the professional world knowing who I want to be as a photographer and I will be forever grateful for that.