Case Study
Fashion student Katie graduates from Study USA programme with top honours
Picture Caption: (L-R) James Applegate, US Consul General, Caragh O’Hagan, Belfast Met, Jonathan Stewart, Director, British Council Northern Ireland, Mark Lee, Department for the Economy, Katie Murphy, runner of the Study USA Student of the Year award. Credit: Pacemaker Press
A Belfast Met fashion student has graduated from the Study USA programme with top-class marks after spending a year immersing herself in the American arts and fashion industry.
Katie Murphy a BSc Hons Fashion Production & Business student from Gorey, Co. Wexford, is the only Belfast Met student to have been awarded a place in the 2023-2024 Study USA programme.
Her time was even more unique in that she became the first on the Study USA programme to study across two different states and also the first to participate in the New York Arts Program.
Katie completed the Study USA programme with a 4.0 GPA, earning her a place among the top academic achievers and was named runner up for Student of the Year at a special graduation ceremony at Belfast City Hall recently.
Reflecting on her year on the Study USA programme, Katie said:
"I am incredibly proud of my time on the Study USA programme which has taught me so much. Becoming an exchange student at Ohio Wesleyan University and a participant in their New York Arts Program exposed me to diverse teaching methods and immersive, collaborative learning experiences.
"I am incredibly grateful to have had such a valuable study abroad experience. I will always look back on this year fondly, thankful for the perspectives, friends, lessons, and connections it brought.
“I'm excited to apply everything I’ve gained in America to my final year of Fashion Production & Business at Belfast Metropolitan College. I couldn't recommend this programme enough. From the early days of the interview process, I felt supported and encouraged, which pushed me to make the most of this opportunity."
Katie has now returned to Belfast Met’s Titanic Campus to complete her final year of study in the BSc HONS Fashion Production & Business course.
Congratulating Katie on her success, course director at Belfast Met, Caragh O'Hagan, said:
"As a Study USA alum myself, I know firsthand the skills and experience Katie will bring back to Northern Ireland. She has represented Belfast Met and our BSc Hons Fashion Production & Business course fantastically.
“We are looking forward to welcoming her back for her final year and seeing her continued success in the fashion industry."