An East Kent Colleges Group (EKC Group) alumnus has stepped into the world of fashion in style, having secured a prestigious scholarship that covers his university tuition and provides an additional £10,000 annually.
Jayden Strong graduated from the Fashion and Textiles course at EKC Canterbury College last year and now studies BA (Hons) Cordwainers Footwear at the London College of Fashion.
Having been a standout student, Jayden has gone from strength to strength after he became the only one in his university year group to be awarded a scholarship with Manolo Blahnik – a designer shoe brand.
The prestigious award means that not only will all of Jayden’s tuition fees be paid for, but he will also get £10,000 each year for the rest of his degree to support him in his studies.
Reflecting on his time at EKC Canterbury College, Jayden says he owes his confidence to apply for university to EKC Group.
“EKC Group provided me with the environment to have the confidence to go on and do university,” he said.
“In my first year at College, I was on the Art and Design course where I made my first pair of shoes.
“My teacher at the time was really encouraging, and I ended up being put onto the Fashion and Textiles course.
“I wouldn’t have even considered applying for university if it wasn’t for this course and my teachers pushing me into doing it.
“I wasn’t sure if I was capable of doing it, and everyone here said I was and that it would be a mistake not to do it.”
He added: “The freedom I had to pick what I did and how I did it allowed me to experiment in lots of different ways to find out what I liked the most.”
The 22-year-old said that he was over the moon to be awarded the scholarship, which has left him confident that he is on the right path.
“I hadn’t really thought about what it [the scholarship] meant for my tuition and loans, so when it hit me that I didn’t have to pay at all, I had a bit of a cry. It was very exciting,” Jayden said.
“It made me realise that I definitely made the right decision to go to university, that it was perfect timing for me, and this is what I’m meant to be doing.
“It will help me to go through university without the extra stress of having to worry about whether I can afford the train, or to buy the materials I need. It means that I can put all my energy into my work.
“Previously, my maintenance loan covered maybe a third of the train, but now it’s completely covered.”
Jayden’s advice to anyone who wants to go into fashion is to give it a go because if you don’t, you don’t know what could come of it.
“There’s no harm in giving it a go and seeing where things take you,” he said.
“I spent a lot of time stressing about whether to apply [to university] or not, and if I’d be capable of going to London every day, so it’s calmed my nerves now to know that it’s all okay.”
To find out more about studying Fashion and Textiles at EKC Canterbury College, click here.
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