We’re always proud to highlight student success stories, and today we’re delighted to bring you the inspiring journey of Gosia. From initially enrolling as an ESOL student to excelling in the world of interior design, Gosia's story is a testament to the transformation and opportunities available at Fife College.
Originally from Poland, where she worked in the agricultural sector, Gosia has always held a passion for art and interior design. Wanting to align her career with her interests, she began an ESOL course at Fife College, opening doors to future opportunities. Following this, Gosia immediately continued her studies with us, spending two years obtaining her HNC in 3D Design (Interiors) full-time. During this, she juggled the roles of both a dedicated student and a single parent.
Her story highlights the support and flexibility that students balancing family, work, and other life responsibilities can expect when they begin their journey with Fife College.
Reflecting on her mode of study, Gosia said:
"Being able to study for my HNC [full-time at the College] was ideal for me. It was a big reason for initially choosing college over university; I was able to keep working part-time while also looking after my daughter as a single parent.”
Her talent and hard work didn’t go unnoticed; her journey with Deanestor – one of the UK’s leading furniture and fitout specialists, began after Ramsay McDonald, Managing Director of Deanestor Scotland, visited her class. This gave Gosia the opportunity to take up a pivotal summer placement in 2023, leading to her employment.
Ramsay McDonald has since been very impressed with Gosia commitment and application:
“We appointed Gosia as a Trainee Designer following her very successful three-month placement at our Scottish headquarters in Dunfermline. We are working on major school furniture and fitout projects across Scotland, including in Fife, so we took the decision to expand our design team and with a student from Fife College – who has proved to be very talented.
“We have been seriously impressed with the quality of teaching in architecture and interior design at the College – which is clearly a leading facility in this sector.
“Gosia became a valuable member of our design team really quickly. She has a strong appetite for learning, particularly in Revit software that many of our clients’ design teams need for putting furniture into 3D visualisations. She has also brought excellent Enscape skills to the role, which our private sector clients are increasingly requesting.
“Our experience has been really positive, and we would have no hesitation in recommending other design students from Fife College.”
Gosia also highlighted the real-world readiness Fife College instils:
"The College’s strong links with businesses like Deanestor, along with the support I’ve had from my tutors have been a really big influence on my journey.”
Despite facing the challenge of adapting to different design software in her current role, Gosia found that her HNC had equipped her well:
"The transition was seamless. The familiarity with various design software during my HNC was invaluable," she explains.
Furthermore, the collaborative projects across related courses at the College, such as working with surveyors, mirrored the real-life projects she now thrives on at Deanestor as part of their design team.
"I'm feeling very settled at Deanestor - having been truly welcomed as part of their team from day one - and I'm now working on my own projects, which has been very interesting and exciting. I'm supporting the creation of a new community campus; working closely with the design and construction team, ensuring the furniture meets the project requirements.”
Now, alongside her employment, Gosia is furthering her education by studying for her degree at the Arts University Bournemouth, continuing her commitment to growth and excellence in the field of interior design.
"When I went to university, I realised how much I learned from college from what I already understood at uni. The theoretical side of my college course was of a very high standard. I also went on to university with a lot of technical skills from college, making it easy to adapt to new systems and software."
Fife College is proud of Malgorzata Norberczuk’s achievements and her journey from an ESOL classroom to excelling in a creative career in Scotland. As the College continues its long-standing dedication to lifelong learning, Gosia stands as an example of the positive impact continuous education can have on both personal and professional development.
Here’s to more success stories like Gosia’s, as we continue to support our community's educational aspirations and career ambitions!
You can learn more about Gosia's current employer, Deanestor – one of the UK’s leading furniture and fitout specialists – here.
