14 - Alumni Spotlight: Zafirah Sadiq
Zafirah Sadiq, Class of 2021 Despite a disrupted second year due to Covid-19, Zafirah loved her time at Trinity and has gone on to pursue a degree in architecture at Newcastle University. She talks here about how her experience at Trinity prepared her for her degree, the teachers who had most influence on her, the projects she is particularly proud of and her plans for the future in the field of disaster relief.
What were your most memorable experiences at Trinity? My time at Trinity was unfortunately shorter than I had hoped due to my second year being cut short by the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. When I reflect on my time there, it is filled with fond memories and a deep sense of gratitude to all the staff members who played a significant role in my personal and academic growth during those two years. I gained academic confidence, something I previously lacked, which pushed me to achieve things I didn’t think were possible. The most valuable lesson I learned was to have confidence in my own abilities, and this transformation wouldn’t have been possible without the teachers who provided the support and guidance. Were there any particular teachers who had a significant impact on your academic and career development in the field of architecture? It’s hard to narrow down those who had a significant impact because it wasn’t just one so I’m going to mention as many as I can! My art teacher, Mr Strange, gave so much meaning to the work I produced during my A levels – he pushed me to think in a way in which I had never been encouraged to do so before. It allowed me to create work that was rich in meaning and, to this
day, still influences the work I do. Mr Aldridge gave me so much of his valuable time and advice, helping with the process of applying to schools of architecture. My form tutor, Dr Asquith, always started our form times in the best possible way by getting our brains geared up in the mornings (arguably too early!) with thought provoking debates. How did your time at Trinity prepare you for your studies at Newcastle University and your future career in architecture? I don’t honestly think anything can quite prepare you for an architecture degree! However, there are important lessons and skills that aid the transition period that
