Luc’s journey through school, NESCol, and university to a successful career in acoustics is a real masterclass in resilience.

23-year-old Luc was born in York and relocated to Edinburgh when his mum started studying at Heriot-Watt University. The pair then moved to Aberdeen, where Luc attended Cults Academy.

School was a challenging time for Luc. He was predicted to achieve top grades in his National 5s in fourth year, but a traumatic event affected his exam performance. Although he secured an A in music, his choice of Highers for fifth year was limited.

Difficulties at school also arose from Luc’s autism, which he was not diagnosed with until the age of 19.

Luc said, “I did better in my Highers than Nat 5s, but I still had few options for my next steps.

“At the end of fifth year, there was nothing left for me at school. I was feeling very purposeless and fatigued and I needed a new challenge.

“A rep from NESCol came to the school and it seemed really interesting and like it could be a fresh start for me. I had planned to go into the RAF like some of my family members but the Deputy Head Teacher advised me not to go down that route and told me about a course at NESCol that I wasn’t aware of: HND Sound Production.”

Sound Production at NESCol

Despite not quite meeting the entry requirements for the HND, Luc applied to NESCol and was surprised to be invited to an interview.

He said, “The College saw my potential. The course leaders offered me a chance when no one else did.”

Luc began his studies in 2019, which led to an unusual College experience during the pandemic, with no in-person lectures and restricted times to use the sound production facilities.

He said, “It wasn’t always the easiest. However, the quality of education I received from my lecturers was excellent and they were very supportive as I figured out my identity in the discipline.”

Luc’s lecturers worked with him to find learning methods that suited him.

“They gave me guidelines, not solid boundaries, so I could hyperfixate on the things that interested me. I could apply myself in the way I wanted to and they would give me gentle nudges in the right direction.

“This is how I’ve built the curious skillset I have today! I had the opportunity to go and figure it out for myself – that kind of learning is not something you’ll find in the prospectus.”

From College to university

After leaving school feeling unmotivated, Luc gave College his all.

He said, “My HND was the gateway for me to go to university so I put full effort in. I also made some amazing friends and I got to do some really fun group projects with them.

“If I had to pick one favourite moment, it was probably when I handed in my graded unit at the end of second year. I really put everything into it and the resulting feeling of self-accomplishment was something I had never felt before.”

Luc needed a B in his graded unit to progress to the third year of a BSc (Hons) Audio Technology degree at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) – and he achieved it! Amazingly, he also managed to fund his flat in Glasgow with money made from the sound effects company that he started up as part of his graded unit.

Luc’s confidence and skills continued to grow at university.

He said, “College was a step up from school, and I knew the move to university would be another step up, but I threw everything at it.

“My HND equipped me in a very practical way and I had more hands-on experience than anyone else in the class. The facilities at College really are excellent, even the recording studios at university did not compare.”

Luc also met a very important person at university – his partner.

He said, “I’m grateful to NESCol for this. The way I see it is if it wasn’t for that interview, I would never have been at university and got to meet her.”

Working in acoustics

Luc graduated university at the age of 21 and is already enjoying a very successful career.

He said, “Professionally, it’s been a whirlwind two years! I was lucky as things aligned for me and I met a recruiter who believed in me at the right time. The percentage of graduates from my degree getting jobs post-pandemic was small and I was the first one to land a job.

“I moved with my partner down to London for a role as an acoustic consultant. However, after just over a year, I figured out that the London life wasn’t for me.”

Luc then relocated back to his roots in York to continue his career in acoustic consultancy.

He said, “I had the amazing opportunity to become a technical product manager of an acoustics material company. This means I oversee all of our product portfolio and I’m also the in-house acoustic specialist, advising on everything acoustics-related.

“It was really scary but I’m pleased to say I’m settled and very happy and the job is great! I started at NESCol just under six years ago and it’s been an incredibly fast-moving few years, so now I just want to relax and work on my Antiquarian book side-business with my partner.”

Advice for students

Luc encountered many barriers with his education but faced these with determination and an openness to learn, fully embracing every opportunity offered to him.

He said, “I want to show others that it’s possible even if you’re in a challenging position or from a challenging background.

“I definitely had times when I didn’t think I could do it or felt imposter syndrome but I always kept going. My autism helped with this as I’m hyper-logical and I’d think to myself: ‘I’ve come so far, it would be a waste to give up now.’

“My advice for students is to have a go. What I’ve learned is you get out what you put in. This course gave me a springboard to believe in myself for the first time in my life. It led me to the career I’m incredibly proud of, it’s how I met my partner, and it’s how I found my home.”

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