Dream Bigger, Take Your Own Path

Suzie Cassels

There is more than one path to achieving your dreams. For many people, college provides the skills, encouragement and freedom to discover what they are capable of and to build a future that reflects their own strengths and ambitions.

At Ayrshire College, success is not defined by following one path. The College creates opportunities for school leavers, adult returners, apprentices and career changers to gain practical skills, grow in confidence and take meaningful steps towards their goals.

Former student Catherine Morran McNiven’s journey shows the lasting difference that experience can make.

For Catherine, success has never been about following one specific route. It has been about believing in her abilities, recognising opportunities and having the confidence to create a path that works for her.

When Catherine left school, the traditional expectation was clear: school would lead to university and then to a career. For many people of her generation, choosing a different route was sometimes perceived as being less valuable or ambitious.

Catherine never believed that herself.

“I have always inherently had strong self-belief. Belief in myself was something I had from day one, and it remains one of the most important values I try to encourage in others. Without belief in yourself, it is very difficult to move forward.”

Studying Accounts and Finance at Kilmarnock College, now part of Ayrshire College, gave Catherine the practical skills, encouragement and reassurance to pursue her ambitions in her own way.

College offered an environment that was better suited to Catherine and her life at that time. It broadened her perspective on what success could look like and showed her that an alternative route was not simply acceptable, but valuable.

“There was a wider societal perception that taking an alternative route was somehow lesser than following the more traditional or ‘correct’ path. What college did so well was broaden that perspective. It made those choices feel not only acceptable, but valuable.”

The support of her lecturers also made a lasting difference. Their encouragement strengthened Catherine’s confidence in her abilities and helped her develop the skills that would provide the foundation for her future career.

“There are lecturers I could name where, without their encouragement and support, my path may have looked very different.”

After college, Catherine began working in an accounts role, gaining valuable practical experience and developing her knowledge of the profession. By the age of 22, she had taken a significant step into business ownership, purchasing taxis and gradually building a fleet.

Working closely with self-employed drivers led to another opportunity. Catherine began providing bookkeeping and tax services, which steadily developed into a growing client base. In 2011, she established her own accountancy practice.

Her career has continued to develop through experience, ongoing learning and a willingness to embrace change. Over time, Catherine expanded into property, mortgage and protection advice, and commercial finance, building a portfolio of businesses and leading a growing team.

Running that team is one of the aspects of her work she values most.

“Running a team is something I genuinely love, and I am extremely proud of the team and culture we have created within our workplace.”

Her path has also required resilience. Following a health scare, Catherine chose to retrain and broaden her expertise, creating new opportunities to support her clients and increase the impact of her work.

Today, her ambitions extend beyond business growth. She is passionate about creating opportunities for others, whether through employment, financial guidance or helping clients take their first steps into self-employment.

Her journey also challenges the idea that there is only one “correct” route to success. For Catherine, college did not replace an ambition, it helped her shape one that reflected her strengths, circumstances and aspirations.

“Ayrshire College broke down a lot of those judgements and gave people like me, and many others who did not fit that more traditional environment, an equally valuable opportunity to achieve something meaningful with support, encouragement and absolutely without judgement.”

Catherine’s journey demonstrates that dreams do not need to follow a traditional path. They can develop over time, grow with experience and lead in directions you may never initially have imagined.

The most important thing is having the belief to take the first step and the freedom to make the journey your own.

“College isn’t just about learning a subject. It’s about discovering what you are capable of, often before you realise it yourself. Yes, the College offers support, skills and knowledge, but more importantly, it offers space to grow in confidence, direction and self-belief. It helps you see what you are capable of before the world does.”