I switched from a ‘sensible’ degree in pharmacy to a creative apprenticeship and ended up working with Beyoncé

To this day, I've never regretted my choice. It gave me crucial insight into the industry that I needed to work in, and has completely changed my life

It’s a big week for school leavers receiving their A-levels. Whether or not students see the grades they were hoping for when they open those envelopes, they will be making some important decisions for what they want to do next, and maybe even having some difficult conversations with parents and teachers, if the path that they choose is perhaps not what is expected, for whatever reason.

I left school with 12 GCSEs and four A-Levels. With a strong academic record and encouragement from my parents, heading to university was a natural progression after school, so off I went to Brighton University to pursue a pharmacy degree.

One year in – of what was meant to be a four-year course – I couldn’t shake my feelings of “what if”, and decided to leave my university course to pursue my dream of forging a career in fashion. Having made that decision, I stayed at Brighton for another six months and made the most of the opportunity to speak to the fashion degree course tutor at that time. He paired me up with a third-year student as a mentor, and I started to build my own portfolio, while still studying for my degree on the side. I wanted to have an idea of the kind of things I needed to start doing and learning in order to build from the bottom up, before later leaving in my second year.

I would be lying if I said I didn’t face disappointment from my loved ones when I first made the decision to leave my degree – they had very traditional views and expectations about the type of career I should pursue. On top of that, my own course tutor said I was making the biggest mistake of my life. Of course, they wanted the best for me, and were worried about me taking a chance on the unknown, but this initial lack of support meant I had to be extremely resilient and certain about the choice I had made to focus on my passion.

After I left Brighton, I did a year-long tailoring course at Newham College, which gave me some amazing hands-on experience as well as classroom-based learning. A friend gave me an apprenticeships leaflet when I finished this course, and I applied for a two-year course in Fashion and Textiles when I was 24. The actual application process was quite straight forward – similar to applying for university, but the selection process was competitive – around 25 us of applying for just eight places.

My paid apprenticeship was at City and Westminster College in west London, and I got hands-on experience at haute couture house Ralph and Russo, and then leather goods company, Anthony Vrahimis. Ralph and Russo did a lot of outfits for Beyonce's Mrs Carter tour, so I worked a lot on her bespoke dresses. I also designed a belt for Angelina Jolie while I was an apprentice, as well as working on outfits for Katy Perry on The X Factor in America, and Amanda Holden on Britain's Got Talent.

We had four days in the workplace, and one day a week in the classroom where we were learning the theory side of Fashion and Textiles, including manufacturing, production. I gained an Intermediate NVQ Level 3 in Leather Goods Production.

When I qualified after two years, the leather goods company offered me a full-time position, but I decided to work for an independent designer as a sample machinist because it meant I got maximum use out of the skills I had gained. I wanted to keep practising going forward into the industry – I wanted to keep learning, keep trying everything. Having secured a place on a six-month mentoring programme with the brand director of Ted Baker, I then enjoyed a three-month internship with the business, moving around between departments which gave me an incredible view into how a fashion company works.

Following this experience, I felt inspired and confident enough to take the leap and start my own womenswear company – August Devine. To help overcome the financial costs involved, I shared my story on social media, and was able to successfully crowdfund enough money to buy the industrial sewing machine I needed to begin.

When these kinds of opportunities follow such a big decision, it's a sign you're heading in the right direction. I've never regretted choosing an apprenticeship over my degree. It gave me the crucial insight into the industry that I wanted to work in, and has completely changed my life. My advice to anyone wanting to do something similar is to have an action plan, and to give yourself small and realistic goals. With your whole future ahead of you, anything is possible.

Nana Bonsu is a fashion and textiles apprentice at Ralph and Russo