"Lewisham Southwark College prepared me well for university in many ways. It gave me confidence in vital skills like writing, which are really important on a degree course, and sparked my creativity."
Now at the University of East London studying for a degree in Fashion Design, Zita Obakponovwe believes that Lewisham Southwark College – where she first enrolled on an entry level English and maths course – set her on the road to success.
“It all started at the College,” she says. Having lived in Italy for 22 years, Zita came back to the UK in 2013 for family reasons, and enrolled at Lewisham Southwark College to study English and maths, then taking a Beauty Therapy NVQ course.
“I used the knowledge I gained from this to set up my own make-up line, ZitaMilano, which I sell online,” says Zita. But her passion was always fashion: she had worked in fashion styling for many years but had no formal qualifications in the subject, so applied for the College’s Fashion Level 1 course.
“When I came along to the assessment, they decided to put me on the Foundation course instead,” she says. “The course was tough because I was studying with people who had already done four years at College, but at the end of the course, I came out top! I also won a ‘Best Student of the Year’ award.
With the help and encouragement of her course tutor, Zita won a scholarship to study at the University of East London, which is one of the top ten places in the capital to study fashion. She explains: “I was originally planning to apply to a lower ranking university which was easier to get into, but our tutor encouraged us all to aim high and believe in ourselves.”
She adds: “Lewisham Southwark College prepared me well for university in many ways. It gave me confidence in vital skills like writing, which are really important on a degree course, and sparked my creativity.
“Studying for a degree isn’t easy. I am a single parent to two daughters, one of whom has autism, but I think I’m a living example that if you have passion for something and are determined, you can achieve your dreams.”
