Meet LCF's 2024 Graduation Ceremony student speakers
- Written bySorcha Cheevers
- Published date 07 August 2024
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London College of Fashion (LCF), UAL’s Graduation Ceremony took place on 17 July at the iconic Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank. Students and staff came together for the day to celebrate their accomplishments and look ahead to the future.
Every year, the Deans select one student from each of the three Schools at LCF as ceremony speakers to give a speech to their fellow students. This year Yeu An Quach represented School of Design and Technology (SDT), Sameen Ayub for School of Media and Communications (SMC), and Cecilie Christensen for Fashion Business School (FBS).
We recently caught up with Yeu An, Sameen and Cecilie to chat about their LCF journey, what inspired their speech, and any advice they have for students going into their final year.
Congratulations on being selected as a student speaker at the 2024 Graduation Ceremony! How does it feel to be recognised in this way?
Cecilie: Thank you! It feels like the cherry on top after four years of hard work at LCF and it is really incredible to have been selected for such an honourable assignment.
Sameen: I am indescribably grateful to have had this opportunity. I mentioned in my speech how I never saw myself as someone who belonged at LCF or was initially on the same level as some of my peers, so to be ending my journey here representing the student body feels almost surreal.
Yeu An: It’s a great honour. I’m a little surprised and humbled by the whole experience. I owe it all to LCF, my Contour teachers and technicians.
Can you tell us a bit about your LCF journey, and how it feels to be graduating?
Cecilie: My journey at LCF has been full of ups and downs. I started in the peak of the pandemic in October 2020 and struggled through two years of online lectures and lack of community. When I was able to attend lectures in person and go to the LCF campuses, I was finally able to connect with my fellow course mates. In year two, I joined the Women’s Football club at UAL where I was quickly elected President. Taking the responsibility of a committee member role allowed me to build my employability skills and meet students from other courses and colleges. The beauty of UAL is the possibility of connecting with people from many different cultures, backgrounds and interests. I have invested time in any extracurricular activities, such as interning for Liz Gee [Dean of Fashion Business School] to research Student Engagement. This culminated in the FBS committee which I led with other students to improve events and community. I also worked on many different projects with the Arts Temps team, such as being a Student Ambassador at Big Welcome and Activities Week. All these experiences have now culminated in my graduation and when I look back at the things I have experienced and accomplished through these past four years at LCF, I cannot help but be proud of myself and appreciate how far I’ve come.
Sameen: I thought my LCF journey would end a lot sooner than graduation. The past three years I juggled feelings of doubt and lacked self-belief, so to be graduating now having overcome that finally feels like the moment I fully celebrate myself and my achievements. It is scary not knowing what will come next, but I remember feeling that when I was applying for university too, and that turned out fine to say the least!
Yeu An: Yes, I originally didn’t think of studying Contour but was advised it was a great subject to study due to its technical elements. In year one, it was very challenging due to COVID. However, my teachers have been fantastic and very supportive. I feel so proud to graduate, and it felt even more special because I got to share my speech with everyone including my family.
What inspired your speech? What were the themes you wanted to get across to your fellow students?
Cecilie: My speech was inspired by my own experience at university and focused on the things I have learned. This was my second degree and I have been working full-time for the past year, so I felt I had knowledge that would help students who may be going on to do another degree, or into full-time work. The theme of my speech was adaptation and perspective. I focused on the fact that I “failed” my first degree because I decided to drop out after year two, to allow myself to study something that I enjoyed more. Whilst this may have been seen as a failure for most, it was a win for me. I am someone who has always received good grades and followed the path to a successful life, but I realised that I wasn’t happy, and therefore made a choice to move to London to do something I was passionate about. In the speech I then mentioned how that change resulted in all the amazing opportunities and honours I have been presented with here at LCF, to let others see that it’s okay to fail sometimes because it may lead to an even bigger victory somewhere else.
I ended the speech with advice I had received from the interviews I conducted in my thesis with eight very successful female leaders in the fashion industry, to inspire and motivate my fellow students to take charge of their own career. And most importantly, I encouraged graduates to believe in themselves and the abilities they have gained from graduating from one of the best fashion universities in the world.
Sameen: I think the main reason I struggled with impostor syndrome for my first year or so at LCF was due to me believing that people with similar backgrounds to me were not welcome or present in these spaces. Throughout the years, I discovered that in my own family there was evidence of creativity. It was not that these people did not exist, it was that they were not given similar amounts of recognition and appreciation. I was guilty of that myself. My family has made unfathomable sacrifices that allowed me to stand on a stage at graduation when they could not, the least I could do was to at least give them their flowers.
I wanted to express to my fellow students that ideas of creativity are diverse beyond what they may have previously imagined, surpassing language barriers and familiar cultures and faces. To encourage them to create conversation with and uplift those with less opportunity than we have. And lastly that creativity persists and flourishes within even the most unsuspecting of us.
Yeu An: I wanted to dedicate the speech to my parents, family and teachers, who have shaped me into a better person, and how everyone has something special to offer the world, they just need to look within themselves.
Do you have any tips or advice for LCF students that will be graduating next year?
Cecilie: Enjoy your last year at university. You will never be able to experience this again so make sure you take in each moment and immerse yourself in all the opportunities you are presented with, because they will propel you forward, and direct you onto a path to find your purpose.
Sameen: Graduation day is genuinely one of the best days. There is nothing to be nervous or overthink about, the only expectation is to be spectacular, which you have already proved you are. Express yourself, have fun, cheer for your friends as loud as you can. And bring a fan, it is so hot in there!
Yeu An: ‘Keep swimming’ is what Nicola, my course leader, always said to us and it’s true! Enjoy the final year and don’t have any regrets of anything you wished you’d done in your collection. Also, listen to the constructive feedback you receive and act positively rather than defensively with it. It helped me to grow.
What are your plans for after graduation?
Cecilie: I have been working full time as the Sports Development Coordinator at the Arts Students Union here at UAL so I will be continuing my position there and will be working on improving the recognition of our volunteers who take on the responsibility of running our clubs and societies at UAL.
Sameen: I have had my moments of doubt. Now that that is out of the way, the only real plan is to be absolutely unstoppable.
Yeu An: Firstly, a well-deserved holiday break! And then I would like to continue learning and improving, particularly in the technical areas of contour. I find it all very fascinating and enjoy the learning process.
- Read more LCF Stories
- See work from LCF's Undergraduate Class of 2024 on UAL Showcase