Courtney Spivey

I was torn between going into work versus continuing my higher education. When I discovered Abertay, going abroad to study one year for masters in my field seemed like a no brainer, especially due to Abertay's wide acclaim and low tuition fees.

As it happened during COVID, my favorite memories of Abertay were unusual, but the close relationships I forged with my colleagues outside of classes and exploring the landscape and ruins of Scotland with those colleagues (who became lifelong friends) were some of my favourite times. Also having all my grad courses taught on Discord was a true gamer moment, and honestly quite a fun educational experience!

My favourite memory from my time at Abertay was coming back for graduation! Seeing the rest of the student body for the first time was a bit sad because I realized there were so many more potential connections / friends we all could have made (had it not been covid), meeting up with the friends I graduated with and catching up with them after the ceremony, getting bagpipes played as we walked out of Caird Hall (culture shock moment for me - that was SO COOL!)...good times :)

I found the transition between University and the working world a bit stressful  because I sent out many applications and didn't get a lot of final interviews, but getting connected with the alumni network helped me immensely. I received industry insights and great interview/resume/portfolio tips that helped me ultimately get hired.

When I got the job offer I had relocate to London, and with the help of the company and co-workers that were Abertay Alumni the transition was smooth and exciting. It was still hard leaving such a sweet little community and I still miss Dundee, but ultimately coming to London was absolutely what I wanted to do and I wouldn't change anything about my experience. Since relocating I've done a mix of remote and in person work (our office work on a hybrid model) and my time at my company has been phenomenal. Anything I want to learn about I have been able to study (good training budget and many experts in-house makes it easy), any part of design work I was interested in I was added to, and our company's culture is so accommodating and flexible that I've felt nothing but growth since I've started the job. When things get stressful and tough our company stays transparent and united, and the support given to each employee is really generous. I wouldn't want to have started work anywhere else and I'm so happy to be here.

In the future, I want to design all the way! I want to build experiences that transport players from our reality to somewhere else, and curate a journey where they explore, feel, learn, and ultimately just have a good time :)

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