Jerusha Orakwue’s decision to pursue teaching comes after a transformative university experience, where she overcame significant personal challenges while earning recognition for her architectural talent.
During her BArch (Hons) Architecture studies, Jerusha lived with chronic pain caused by a fused spine and experienced ongoing fatigue. She also received an ADHD diagnosis at the start of her final year, helping her better understand the challenges she had faced throughout school.
Despite these obstacles, Jerusha found a community that helped her thrive. She excelled academically, supported by friends, lecturers and colleagues she met through the University's Student Ambassador Scheme.
This week, Jerusha delivered a speech to hundreds of fellow graduates and guests at her graduation ceremony. Reflecting on her experience, Jerusha said: " I worried about whether I would find my place here or if I would find the right friends. Words cannot express how grateful I am to the University of Staffordshire for nurturing me into the person and designer I am today.
"I want to thank the incredible friends I have made here and there – from church, the people I skate with and from my campus jobs. Thank you to the friends who would sit with me for hours, doing your own work in parallel just to keep my morale up when my body was tired."
The 21-year-old from Stafford added: “I have been reminded that we are not supposed to deal with difficult things silently and the community I found here proved that to me every day.”
Jerusha's work also attracted recognition beyond the University. She was nominated for drawing awards by the North Staffordshire Society of Architects and for the Women in Property Student Awards. Her final-year project was also selected for the Best of the Built Environment 2026, a national showcase celebrating outstanding architecture graduates from across the UK.
Her project, named ARCHADE Junction, reimagined an underused site alongside Longton Viaduct as a destination for creativity, recreation and community. Featuring artists' studios, a community plaza and a gaming arcade, the proposal creates an inclusive space where people of all ages can come together while breathing new life into the town's industrial heritage through sustainable design.
"I was interested in exploring how art and architecture can support communities while bringing overlooked places back into public life," Jerusha explained. "The project reflects my passion for traditional art, functional sustainability, multimedia, experiential design and the relationship between people and place."
Jerusha is now staying at University of Staffordshire to complete a PGCE in Secondary Design and Technology, to encourage young people to embrace creativity and recognise that success looks different for everyone.
"I am excited to continue within the design field, taking my next steps to complete a PGCE in Design and Technology, with the goal of building something entirely of my own within the design world," she said.
"My own experience in education has shown me that learning is not one-size-fits-all, and that actual progress comes from trial and error instead of getting it 'right' the first time."
Discover more about studying at University of Staffordshire by booking your place at an Open Day or apply now through Clearing for a September start.