As a child, Regan Gray enjoyed designing clothes for her dolls.
So it’s not surprising that she has now just graduated from NesCol with an HND in textiles – even if she took the scenic route.
In the seven years between starting the course after leaving school and graduating this week, Miss Gray has moved across the country and back, studied two other courses, started a textile-related accessory business and had a baby.
Always comes down to fashion
It was the arrival of her son that gave her a focus when she returned to NesCol to complete her HND after trying her hand at fashion journalism and fashion business.
Miss Gray, 24, from Ellon, said: “I came back to finish my HND in Textiles at NesCol, which was so much more enjoyable for me after having had a few years to try various things and realise my path.
“NesCol is a great college – it has a really relaxed atmosphere and is in a great location. It was so easy to get to after dropping my son off at nursery, and the lecturers are so encouraging and involved.”
She developed her interests in sustainability, historical fashion, and even incorporated her time at home with her son into the projects she undertook, putting a focus on childrenswear.
She added: “It was a bit different coming back to college in a pandemic, but our course let us come into work for one or two days a week, which was really good.
“We had to think about research based on our lockdown activities, and for me, that was staying home with my son every day – helping him learn and playing with him.
“It was also thinking about how children’s clothes are hard-wearing as they are intended for playing in the garden and doing practical activities – or crawling on the floor.”
Focusing on children’s fashion
This work impressed her lecturers so much they put her forward for a Go Celebrate Award.
She said: “It was really heart-warming to be recognised by my lecturers for the hard-work that I put in to the course. I am really thankful to Janice [Scott, curriculum manager] for believing in me and pushing me to work at the best of my ability and without limits.”
Miss Gray will now continue her learning at the Robert Gordon University, where she is studying fashion and textiles.
She hopes to eventually run her own sustainable fashion business.
For any other mums who are thinking of returning to education, she said: “It can be hard to juggle children and studying, however, I think it is nice for children to see their parents studying and working hard towards something and it can set a good example.
“I did not want to give up my career dreams and goals – I’m just achieving things in a different order to some other people, but life is a journey – not a race.”
