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7 years on - profiles of Bedales Leavers 2003

Find out how Bedales helps prepare its students for further study, work, and a range of other interesting and fulfilling activities. This section provides profiles of Old Bedalians who left our Sixth Form seven years ago. It provides a longer term view on a Bedales education, and will help you to evaluate its impact.

“There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about how fortunate I was to be at Bedales.” (Ben, OB, Army Air Corps) 

After Bedales, Ben Matthews studied Sports Science at Brunel University and gained a 2.1 BSc concurrently gaining a City and Guilds in leadership and management. Later he attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned into the Army Air Corps in December 2007. Ben completed both rotary and fixed wing flight school before transferring to 1st The Queens Dragoon Guards (a Cavalry Regiment) where he completed Signals, Gunnery and Tactics Troop Leaders. Ben has recently gained a language level one speaking and level one listening in Dari with the Defence School of Languages. This qualification is also accredited to the University of Westminster's Foreign Language Department. He is now in the final stages of training before deploying to Southern Afghanistan (for the second time) as an Advisor Team Commander. Ben's role involves advising the Afghan National Army in tactics, systems and processes development and leadership development. Commenting on this posting Ben says, "I was chosen for this role based on my experience and personality, in particular my acceptance and understanding of cultural differences which I believe was instilled in me both through my parents and through Bedales."

Commenting on his time at Bedales he says, "There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about how fortunate I was to be at Bedales School. It taught many essential life lessons, especially with regards to human relations and people skills. Never the most academic during my time at school, but without doubt those skills learnt through extra curricular activities I undertook (which were offered so readily at Bedales) have helped me endlessly in all angles of my life. Without doubt although a rarity to join the Army from Bedales (unlike Eton and Wellington!) it has by no means affected my career. In fact if anything has enabled me to be sought after for more specialist jobs within the Army."

Pictures of Ben in fixed-wing flying training, competing in a biathlon in France and in a nordic skiing team.

“Bedales gave me a solid grounding from some excellent teachers.” (Thea, OB, Doctor)

After leaving Bedales Thea Bishop studied Medicine, with intercalated BSc in Physiology, for 6 years at University College London. Thea is now coming to the end of her first year as a doctor and is looking forward to changing hospitals to begin a job in a busy London A&E department. She is doing this particular job as part of her foundation training requires a certain amount of time in various different areas of medicine so as to gain a good overview by the end of year two as a fully qualified doctor. Commenting on how Bedales has influenced her life and career to date, Thea says: "Despite a tough first year I am enjoying being a doctor, there's nothing else I would do. I think that my plentiful time spent on stage at Bedales has helped me in developing as a doctor both in the professional aspects of presentations in front of large audiences/ important colleagues etc, and in the more personal aspect of the sudden and terrifying transition from being a student to a fully fledged professional where people are constantly expecting decisions and answers from you. In terms of the science background, I feel Bedales gave me a solid grounding from some excellent teachers without there ever being a large amount of competition or pressure."

In addition to her career as a doctor, Thea is president of the medical school womens football club and is pleased to hear that there is now girls football at Bedales. Thea has been involved in some visits to schools teaching sex education in her earlier years as a medical student and is interested in raising awareness regarding the consequences of smoking and unhealthy diets based on her own experiences in the hospital, she adds, "I feel younger people are the target audience for making a change in our increasingly unhealthy society."

"I feel extremely lucky to have had the language teaching I was offered at Bedales, which has been instrumental in my career" (Kate, OB, writer for the UN's World Tourism Organisation UNWTO)

Kate Holmes took a gap year after leaving Bedales and then studied International Relations with Spanish at the University of Sussex. Her degree was a four-year course, including a year in Madrid. After obtaining a first she spent a year at the London School of Economics where she obtained an MSc in European Studies. Kate moved back to Spain for an internship at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a specialised agency of the United Nations dedicated to the development of sustainable tourism worldwide. Kate then spent five months at the European Commission at its Representation in Spain before returning to the UNWTO to work in the Communications Division as a writer, including speech-writing for the Secretary-General. Commenting on how Bedales influenced her life and career to date she says: "I began to learn Spanish in Bedales at the age of 14 and have continued ever since. The rigorous teaching methods of Ruth Jones certainly put me in good stead for my university studies!  
I feel extremely lucky to have had the language teaching I was offered at Bedales which has been instrumental in my career."  

 “I still regard my Bedales years as my best academic years.” (Rodger, OB, Manager of beef farm in Spain)

After leaving Bedales, Rodger Abey Parris went to Manchester University to study BA Economics. He graduated in 2007 and returned to Spain to join the family business in lead sheet manufacturing. The company recycles lead to be used for X-ray radiation protection, sound proofing and in roofing (lead flashings). Rodger's main role is sourcing the raw material and the sale of the finish product to international customers in the UK and Holland. Rodger also manages a beef farm of 120 cows located in a beautiful area 100km north of Barcelona. His aim is to turn it into an organic farm and to make the area environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

Commenting on how Bedales influenced his life after education he comments, "I still regard my Bedales years as my best academic years. My only two regrets are, not going to Bedales earlier (I joined in 6.1) and not using its facilities, teachers, opportunities to the fullest potential. I think Bedales changed me as a person and I have been using things I learnt at Bedales ever since I left. It helped me during my studies in Manchester and it is helping with my current jobs. I'm happy with my lifestyle although I do miss living in England and all my Bedales and university friends."
 
Rodger is also very much involved in the resoration and development of an old Catalan "masia" dating back to 1234.

“…helped me become a confident and happy person”. (Holly, OB, working for Investment Fund)

Following Bedales, Holly Bellm studied at the London College of Fashion and became a make up artist for London agency D&V Management. Holly worked on numerous make up shoots on X-factor, Roger Federer Vogue shoots and Cheryl Cole Loreal advertisements. Holly then diverted her career into fund management in alternative assets. She also has her own jewellery range, some of which is worn by Sienna Miller and stocked in Selfridges. Commenting on her career to date Holly said: "It is very diverse, but I do the creative things to balance out the much better paid but more boring fund management" Commenting on the Bedales influence in her career and later life, Holly said, "it certainly helped me become a confident and happy person and I value what I got from the school immensely."

“One of the greatest things about Bedales is the people that I met…the friends that I made still play a big part in my life today.” (Fletcher, OB, Script writer)

Following Bedales, Fletcher studied for a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Central St. Martins College followed by a BA in Fashion Communication and Promotion. To date he has published a book entitled "When Fletcher & Hay met..." and worked as features editor for Tank Magazine and the Observer Fashion Supplement. Fletcher is now currently working as a script writer and is developing ideas for TV with a view to devising his own comedy series, which he plans to both write and perform in. Commenting on how Bedales influenced him he states: "I think the name Bedales has the potential to open doors both socially and professionally. People have often heard of it, they are interested in what goes on there. If I'm honest, I'm not sure if Bedales has directly helped me achieve where I am now but that's not to say that the experiences and the knowledge I gained whilst I was there hasn't massively influenced and moulded who I am today......One of the greatest things about Bedales is the people that I met whilst I was there. The friends that I made, who still play a big part in my life today." 

“Bedales taught me..to feel very comfortable working with a range of different people outside a clear organisational structure.” (India, OB, Microbiologist, and founder of charity production company) 

After a course at Bristol University studying Microbiology and Virology, India Hamilton worked for a few years as a forensic geneticist in a small DNA profiling lab and then moved into her father's biotech company. The company specialises in developing a new platform of cancer treatment for patients with rare and terminal cancers and India works mainly with financiers and the clinical development team. In addition to her scientific career, India has been running a production company, which she set-up with her sister in 2005. They create a range of events, campaigns and promos for charities. They also run an international film festival in Jersey called Branchage. India's most incredible experience to date was going to Mongolia mid winter to film the wonderful work done by the children's charity, Christina Noble. 
 
Commenting on how the Bedales experience influenced her in later life, India said: "Bedales taught me to be outspoken and to feel very comfortable working with a range of different people outside a clear organisational structure. It has also given me an international dynamic network of friends."  
 

Read profiles of recent Old Bedalians (2010 leavers).

Read more profiles of Old Bedalians.

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