One of the university's students lucky enough to be selected for the trip was Faith Cunningham, a third year Textile Design student. This was Faith's first opportunity to venture across the Atlantic, she was not going to let this opportunity surpass.
'Thankfully the DMU global bursary gave me the opportunity to visit new york. Had they not, as a student from a working class background, visiting the states at this age would have just not been an option for me.' The sum gifted to each student covers around 50% of the trips cost. Ensuring students from all background at least have the option to visit one of the worlds great cities should they want to take it. Students were also given the opportunity to visit Tokyo, a DMU global trip that is also running this academic year.
'It gave me the opportunity to leave Europe for the first time. I would say I'm well travelled but a visit to America is something entirely new to me I was anxious of course for my first long hall flight but I felt it was an opportunity that I could not let pass.'
Faith spoke of the excitement she felt as her and her Textile Design classmates arrived at JFK airport, after a 14 hours stint of travelling beginning with a trek from Leicester to Gatwick airport by coach, they had arrived at their final destination.
They were just a short 'cab' journey from their home for the week. Now all they could think about was where they would be staying 'I was quite worried to see the hotel, considering how reasonable the price of the trip was.' Faith said.
Luckily for the students of the Leicester based university they were not staying in a run down motel 3 buses and a subway ride from Manhattan, in fact it was far from it. 'The hotel we stayed in was unbelievable, the location was perfect, Time Square was actually around the corner.' Faith said with a beaming smile plastered across her face. Their hotel was on 8th street, a prime location for any tourist wanting to explore the 'big city'.
For many tourists visiting New York involves strutting around Soho and meandering around Manhatten, enjoying all the sight seeing and calorific food as they go. Of course as it is an academic trip the time each student spent in the 'big city' was not all like the glitz and glamour. As each student was encouraged to better their job seeking prospects through their experiences whilst on the university funded trip.
'For my course related activity whilst in New York I visited The Fashion Institute of Technology, where their was an exhibition called PINK which was very informative about the colour and connotations surrounding it.' Faith said as she discussed the way the activities organised by her course leader for her time in 'The Big Apple' actually helped her with her studies as well as providing her with a break from the gruelling first year schedule. 'The exhibition provided me with both inspiration and actual content that I will be including in the colour palette for my upcoming end of year project.' Faith explained as she spoke ofhow the trip benefited her both in terms of her university work and how it has developed her as a person.
'I cannot recommend the DMU global trips enough, New York provided me with content for my upcoming projects, a break from the stresses of life as third year undergraduate and I got to visit one of the most thriving cities in the world, a city I hope to some day return to through my career aspirations.'
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