Beyond King’s

This week we are looking forward to welcoming back to school some of our ten year leavers for a lively reunion. Amongst those on the guest list is Dr Stephen Poole (Ch 00-07) who is also coming to school this week to speak to a group of our Biology and Geography students about his career in medicine. While at King’s, Stephen played for the First XI football and cricket teams and was also a monitor.

Stephen then went on to study Medicine at the University of Nottingham. Stephen has been a doctor for five years and is now an Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Specialist Registrar at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where he looks after patients with a range of infectious diseases, including TB, HIV and unusual illnesses in returned travellers. He also works in a microbiology laboratory doing various different tests to look for infectious agents and disease, and advising on complex cases of infection in hospital.

This Thursday King’s L4-U6 performed in the School Concert in College Hall and our former pupil this week also knows a thing or two about performing. Jolyon Loy (Br 02-08) is now a baritone and is currently performing as Bobinot in The Storm: Coenen-Rowe at Lillian Baylis House in Hampstead, London. While at King’s Jolyon was involved in Drama and Theatre and was also a chorister at Worcester Cathedral where he later became a choral scholar and lay clerk.

Jolyon went onto study Modern & Medieval Languages at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was also a choral scholar in the Magdalen College Choir. Following this, in 2016 he graduated with Distinction from the Royal Academy of Music in London with an MA in Vocal Performance. He has sung in many operatic productions and concerts from The Magic Flute at Hampstead Garden Opera to the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus and in 2018 he will appear as Valens in Handel’s Theodora.

This year we were very fortunate to have Squadron Leader Bonnie Posselt (Cr 98-03) here at King’s as our Remembrance Day Speaker. As a pupil Bonnie was incredibly involved in school life and took part in many activities including rowing, CCF, Young Enterprise and Astronomy Club.

Bonnie went on to study Medicine with European Studies at the University of Manchester and Aerospace Physiology and Medicine at King’s College London. During this time Bonnie joined the RAF as a medical officer and she is now a Squadron Leader and a Speciality Registrar in Aviation and Space Medicine. In 2016 Bonnie became Britain’s first trainee space medic, helping to prepare astronauts for voyages into space.

To kick off the new half term, our first inspiring former pupil is Peter Harris (Ch 65-70) who is co-founder of A Rocha, a Christian nature conservation organisation. At King’s Peter threw himself into a variety of activities including drama, music, public speaking, Christian Union, athletics and first team hockey and rugby. He was also a school monitor and Head of Choir House.

Peter went on to study English and Religious Studies at Cambridge University and then worked as an English teacher at Christ’s Hospital School, before training for ordination at Trinity College, Bristol. In 1983, after his curacy, Peter and his wife Miranda moved to Portugal to establish and run A Rocha’s first field study centre and bird observatory. A Rocha is now an international organisation, running conservation projects in twenty countries.

We enjoyed some wonderful events here at King’s recently and one OV who knows all about event planning is Events Manager, Alice Higgins (née Watts) (Ch 93-98). As a pupil at King’s, Alice took part in Choir and was a member of the Boat Club.

Alice studied Drama at Exeter University before starting work in charity fundraising events. Alice worked for Leukaemia Care, Sight Concern and Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice before moving into a more corporate role at Executive Business Support and then launching her own event management business: The Events Executive.

Alice has organised events from private dinners and fundraising events to family days for a national association as well as assisting in a freelance capacity for corporate events internationally including in Rome and Monaco.