When Kirsty O’Donnell arrived at College, she felt defeated. Just months earlier, she had watched her friends head off to top universities while she stayed behind, unsure of her future.
Four months before starting College, Kirsty was diagnosed with a processing disorder and phonological issues. By the time she received the diagnosis, she had missed the grades for university and was exhausted. A gap year seemed like the only option.
However, she decided to meet with the course leader at the college “That day changed everything. For the first time, I felt seen and capable.”
Kirsty enrolled in the Business course and slowly rebuilt her confidence. Two years later, she graduated with a Diploma in Higher Education with Merit. From there, she crossed the street to Strathclyde University and completed a joint honours degree in Marketing and Law.
Only then did she take the gap year she had originally planned. However, something deeper had taken root: her love of film. “Film and TV had always been my escape. I wanted to create those worlds.”
That passion took her to New York City, where she studied film making at the School of Visual Arts. Seven years later, she graduated in the top three of her class, with her films screened at more than 30 festivals worldwide. Her first feature documentary, The Tennessee 11, premiered at the Oscar-qualifying Nashville Film Festival. Her short film, Little Bird, screened alongside Oscar-winning work at the Montclair Film Festival.
In 2025, she launched her own production company, Caledonia Horizon Pictures LLC. “That was a lifelong dream. City of Glasgow College gave me the confidence to believe I could do it.”
Though she continued to face challenges, she stopped comparing herself to others. “Your path doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s, college opened the doors I never imagined. I’ll always be proud that my journey started there.”