The real measure of success of any college or school is how the students have progressed since they have graduated. In Stillorgan College of Further Education, we are justifiably proud of our alumni.
Below we present some past students who have been successful in their chosen fields.
Paul Hughes -Photographer and online entrepreneur
S-Media Student award winner
I studied at Stillorgan college to improve my business skills and was especially attracted to the entrepreneurship modules. I acquired skills in Web and Media development, IT, data analysis, research, marketing, and conducting surveys; All of which have helped me in my working life.
I now have a deeper understanding of how entrepreneurship works and I'm able to critically analyse changes in the marketplace, identifying trends and make informed decisions on the evolution of my business.
I am a national award-winning and published photographer (National and International media outlets that include National Geographic, Author of ‘Doorstep Wilderness’ and ‘A Wilder side of Dublin’).
I operate an online business primarily through YouTube. My work involves the creation and digitisation of images for marketing, promotion and sales. I am equipped to think creatively, be business aware and have the confidence to take the steps forward in my business. My time spent in Stillorgan college was a great investment, both commercially and personally.
Hayley Farrell – Event Management (Exhibition Project MCI)
I did a 9-month internship which led to a full-time job with an event management company called MCI, where I continued to develop and apply the skills I learned at Stillorgan college. I have had the opportunity to work on corporate events in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Leipzig and Montpellier. What I like most about my job is the variety, no two days are the same.
The most valuable part of the course was the planning and executing of our actual Live event. This provided me with hands on experience and was the real factor confirming that this was the career for me.
When I look back I can see that the past few years of my life have all been influenced by the decision to attend Stillorgan College of Further Education. That was the first step in the beginning of my career in the event industry and my continued studies. My advice for current students is to take advantage of every opportunity provided during the course and enjoy every minute. A year is a very short time and you will be graduating before you know it.
Elisha Clarke – Wedding Photographer
My time at SCFE was really great and extremely formative. It set me on a path that led to a career in photography today. I went on to study Photography in IADT where I graduated with distinction.
I have been a full-time wedding photographer since and will always be grateful to SCFE for all their help and encouragement. I truly believe that year after school in between IADT prepared me for what came next.
https://elishaclarke.com
Chris Judge – Freelance Illustrator & Author
When I left Stillorgan I went on to study Graphic Design at IADT and then realised I wanted to be an illustrator. Achievements I am most proud of are probably getting my children’s books published as well as being the final speaker Offset in Dublin.
I learned so much in one year and would highly recommend it to any school leaver before starting a degree course. I am still best pals with the gang I met there which is amazing.
The staff are fantastic and I still owe so much to them. I couldn’t have imagined the amazing portfolios we all ended up with which was all down to them.
http://www.chrisjudge.com/books
Ian Kennedy – Chief Technical Officer, Neuro Hero.
I have been extremely fortunate to have found employment within an award-winning company after completing my course.
Stillorgan College has been invaluable. I have used every aspect of what the course has taught me on a daily basis. There was an extremely friendly atmosphere at the college. I made some good friends during my time there.
Every member of staff went out of their way to assist students in any way they could. From the principal to the caretaker, everyone was there to help.
Anne Cantrell
I have over 20 years work experience within the charity sector, 11 of which were with the Irish Cancer Society's fund-raising area Coordinator, Northeast of the country. However, prior to enrolling for the course, I had taken a break of seven years from my career to look after my family.
I had excellent work experience, however, my computer skills did not match the changing working environment and I decided I needed to upscale to compete in today's job market. I came to the course with the initial intention of learning how to use Excel and improve my word processing skills in order to return to work.
I learned much more than I anticipated as SCFE. Aside from gaining confidence in returning to work I learned new skills such as bookkeeping that I use. I also completed the course on access which has proved invaluable in my present job as they are currently implementing a new database.
SCFE is a small college which makes for a friendly welcoming environment no matter what your age.
Aisling Friel - Student in Computer Science, DIT
I am starting my final semester of a four-year honours degree course in computer science in DIT. I did a seven-month internship in 2014: after my interview, it was pointed out that one of the reasons I was hired was my varied background, in my working life and previous studies.
In my first month of my internship, I was using Access and Excel, creating pivot tables and connecting both programs to a cloud database.
My previous studies of SCFE were invaluable in this area. In my first year in college one subject that was very easy for me was web development as I had already learned HTML and CSS.
The atmosphere at SCFE was lovely and everybody was friendly and helpful. Four years later I am still in contact with the number of students showing that lasting friendships can be made.
Do not be afraid to ask questions. Do your best on the assignments, it is a great way of learning and putting theory into practice. Keep your CV up to date and set up a LinkedIn page - you never know when the perfect opportunity will come along.
Deirdre Quinn -Regional Tour Guiding Student
I have worked in the events industry for my whole career and recently I decided to complete the Tour Guiding course as I felt that it would give me an additional string to my bow as I now look for freelance work.
Finding the course in Stillorgan was extremely convenient, as I happen to live nearby, but there is an excellent bus service to the college. The fact that the course has a flexible timetable has been fantastic it allowed me the opportunity to get some experience in the guiding field and work to pay my bills at the same time.
I found the main teacher on the course to be excellent, she supported us in every way and went above and beyond in helping us - her knowledge in tourism, history and events is excellent and I feel that we were so lucky to have her.
Stillorgan College of further education is a gem in itself - it is a small college with excellent facilities and is friendly and supportive, I feel like it's family! I would highly recommend the SCFE Tour Guiding course to anyone considering joining the industry.
Darragh Dempsey - Fine Art Paint and Media Graduate
After studying Engineering for two years I decided to drop out one year shy of the course completion. I felt that creativity was the central motivational factor that made me want to do anything and this thought process led me to apply for a place at SCFE.
Once I began the course at Stillorgan it was clear that this was to be my vocation. It was a very important year as it was hands-on where skills and techniques were taught. At third level, these lessons are few and far between so I was wise to be absorbent during my year in Stillorgan. From there I studied fine art painting at NCAD where I learned how to conceptualize my work and articulate my thoughts. After this, I was accepted onto the accelerated master's course at NCAD where I transferred from paint to media.
During my six years in college, I was mentioned in many articles and won numerous awards and funds. I can gladly say that my creative journey began at SCFE where I met friends and learned many things from the teachers there. The tutors were friendly, motivational and extremely honest - the best characteristics to find in your peers.
Sinead Doran - Student in film and television IADT
I worked for two years in RTE and had the interviews I filmed shown on Primetime on Sky News. I also worked on the two series of ‘An Idiot Abroad’ for Ricky Gervais’ production company Risk Productions’ in London.
The skills I learned at SCFE were invaluable to me. The portfolio I created whilst studying in the college got me full marks in the portfolio assessment for IADT and allowed me to continue into their Film and Television Bachelor's Degree course.
The atmosphere was always friendly and uplifting. I met a lot of really nice people at SCFE, some of whom I can I am still in touch with. We were always encouraged to work hard but had a lot of fun too. My advice to students: Don't panic if you don't know exactly what you want to do in life. Just be open to trying things that are out of your comfort zone and say yes to every opportunity you get offered.
Mary Fogarty - Senior reporter, Bray People.
My work involves generating and writing all local content. This includes everything from covering hard news, court sittings and council meetings, to features, entertainment, business, election coverage and more. Through my work, I've met countless interesting people both famous and relatively unknown, including Katie Taylor, Steven Spielberg, Daniel Day Lewis and Sally Field.
The education I received at SCFE was intensely practical. I started my job fully trained, armed with a solid portfolio of work and with all the knowledge I needed to become a reporter. While learning is of course always a lifelong process and you get more knowledge on the job, the education at Stillorgan was the best possible preparation for a career in Journalism.