Hannah Graham

Hannah joined Heritage in Year 7 and left with the class of 2017.

After leaving Heritage, I attended Hills Road Sixth Form where I studied Maths, Physics, Chemistry, and Art and did an extended project qualification in Photography. While I was at Hills Road, one of my pieces was spotted and submitted for the RBA (Royal Society of British Artists) Star Students, a national competition to encourage aspiring young artists. As one of the top 20 finalists, my work was exhibited at the The Mall Galleries and The ROSL (Royal Over-Seas League).

I then went on to study Architecture at the University of Sheffield, where I am currently in the second year of my three-year undergraduate studies. Some of my first-year drawings were selected for the Mohammed ElAshry Memorial Prize, an award to celebrate architectural representation by a student in the first year of undergraduate study.

Outside of my studies, I enjoy reading, running, drawing and painting. Here in Sheffield we have some really nice views — I live at the top of a hill, right next to the peaks with a view of the whole city — so I love sitting out with my sketchbook.

One of the things I miss about Heritage is the environment. Because my year group was so small, we were quite friendly with the teachers and everyone knew each other. Some of the friendships I made at Heritage are still the closest friends I have. Also, I came to realise after leaving how much openness there is in the Heritage curriculum; during my A Levels I found my focus becoming much more narrow, and missed the breadth of ideas that we were exposed to. Now, because architecture covers a range of subjects — including philosophy, science and engineering, geography, politics, and history — I am benefiting from the diversity of studies that Heritage provided, and have a new appreciation for the general joy of learning that was encouraged there.

You can view some of Hannah’s artwork and architecture projects at instagram.com/hannahgraham_arch and instagram.com/hannahgraham100.