After moving to the UK from Poland, Miroslaw arrived at the University as a mature student seeking a career change. He has now completed the BA (Hons) Graphic Design with Foundation programme, immersing himself into every learning opportunity along the way over the last four years and more than often is the first student to sign up to extra-curricular brief and projects.
During his final year of study, Miroslaw began investigating the lack of support for older creatives in the professional sphere, entering the Graphic Design industry at a later age. His research has highlighted a lot of disparity that, alongside ageist tendencies, displays links to wider shortfalls in diversity and inclusion across the creative industries. However, he remains determined to find his place and challenge these stereotypes. His project ‘Grey Matter’ focuses on support for creatives across older generations, underpinned by this ambition. Daniel Cookney, Lecturer in Graphic Design, praises him as “a great example of what the University can do to aid self-discovery and actualisation”.
Miroslaw says “I am extremely honoured to be shortlisted for such an important award. I am earnestly grateful for the recognition for my work because I am very sure that every other nominee for this award is as capable, if not more, of winning. As a mature student where English is not my first language, I started my journey with the University of Salford from Foundation year. The last four years have been a journey of constant self-discovery through my career change. Exploring the many facets of my creative personality has been both an exhausting and an exhilarating experience, and this theme of juxtaposition sums up the last four years. My nomination for this would not have been possible without the inspiration I have received from my tutors and my colleagues, for whom I have the deepest respect, and from whom I have derived the strength to challenge myself and perform better at each stage. This nomination is important to me as a mature student because it shows that people of my age can also achieve goals and because it gives me the energy to grow and take other challenges beyond university.”