Aarathi Somarajan, 19 from India
It has been an inspiring first year for Graphic Design international student Aarathi Somarajan. Following a recommendation from a friend who studied at Reid Kerr, Aarathi travelled to Scotland to be with her mother who is working here and to follow her passion for Art and Design.
She said, "My first year at Reid Kerr and in Scotland has been fantastic, I love this country and I made many friends after only 1 week of attending the College. I have been made to feel very welcome by my fellow students and all of the staff at the college and I can't wait to return after the summer to continue with my education."
Aarathi originally applied for a place at both Reid Kerr College and a college in Vancouver, Canada. She continued, "Reid Kerr replied very quickly to my application and after checking out the college on the internet, I decided it was the place I wanted to be. I was very keen on Art and Design at school but I needed further qualifications to take my knowledge to the next level and the NQ Graphic Design course seemed to be the right choice."
Aarathi was named Student of the Year recently at the annual end of year exhibition and she will return in August this year to begin the first year of a 2-year Higher National Diploma (HND) Graphic Design course at the College. She added, "All of the projects that we have tackled throughout the year have been really interesting especially the end of year show. It was great to work alongside the students to put together this display of our work and I was shocked when I was announced as a prize winner. It can be tough sometimes to be away from home and studying in a different country but with such a successful year at college, it has given me the confidence to take my education forward here in Scotland."