A former Glasgow college student has credited her exam failure for setting her on the path to achieving her dream career. Stephanie McCartney was only admitted to Glasgow Kelvin College ‘by the skin of her teeth’ after not achieving the exam results she needed for University. The now 32-year-old has gone on to have an incredible career working with top fashion brands like Gucci, Prada, and Alexander McQueen, but it wasn’t always plain sailing.
Stephanie is highlighting her story ahead of Scottish students receiving their exam results on Tuesday on National Opportunity Day on Wednesday 7 August. After her first year of college in 2009 didn’t go to plan, Stephanie was told she wouldn’t be allowed to return to her Fashion Design Course. But she believes her now glamourous career could all have been so different if she had not failed her first year of the course – giving her the ‘biggest wakeup call of her life’.
Stephanie, her parents' only child, had to navigate personal challenges when her dad became seriously ill, also diverting her attention away from her studies. However she admits her head was not in the right place before her dad became unwell. She said: “I was prioritising friends, shopping, and silly things rather than my studies.
I was still quite immature. It became even more difficult when my dad became seriously ill. There were a lot of times when I didn't attend because I was trying to be there for him.
“Having to leave Glasgow Kelvin College af.