Murray Hill

Murray Hill
Murray Hill Student of the Year

Murray Hill (27) from Dunblane graduated with a HND Computer Aided Design and Architectural Technology, and also picked up the prize for Student of the Year and also won Most Inspirational Student in the Department of STEM and Construction at the 2024 graduation ceremony.

Murray, said: “I chose to study at Forth Valley College as it was a close option to home that allowed me to study, without having the extra stress of moving out of home. The new Falkirk Campus also appealed to me, as I felt it would have good facilities.

“The facilities at the College were really good. We had access to top software that meant that we would be better prepared for the world outside of College. This included Autodesk software and the CIS (Construction Information service). I found out later that not all students at every college gets access to these services and programs, so it really put me in a great place when moving on to the next steps.

“The lecturers were amazing with me, and they were really giving with their time and always willing to help to allow me to get the most out of my College experience.

“My time at College has allowed me to get experience working with others and this has helped grow my communication skills. It helped me to feel value in myself, as before I did not know how I would cope with the work at this level. The level of commitment it brought out in myself showed me that I am capable.

“Forth Valley College has allowed me to go on to University which has always been a dream of mine. Without College I would not have been able to go, as I did not get the grades in high school at the time. 

“When I was younger and at school, I did not look at the Construction industry as something that would interest me. I therefore did not give it a proper chance. I went back to College in the hope of getting a skilled trade and realised I was on the wrong course. I decided to give the HND Computer Aided Design and Architectural Technology course a chance and realised that actually this was something I really enjoyed and could see myself doing in the long term. This shows that until you really try something, you don’t know if you are going to like it.

“The best bit for me was developing a passion for a subject that I originally had no interest in. I have now finished my three years at College and see the world in a completely different way. When I look around now, I understand the construction of the buildings.

“I would recommend anyone considering college to give it a chance. If you want more from your life than what you currently have as I did, college will give you that platform.

“The thing I loved the most was how to use software and technology, that I previously could not use. I also loved gaining a passion for something I previously was not interested in.”