An Opportunity to be a Pioneer

Old Boy Dr Evan Shellshear ’00 has told an assembly of current students to make the most of their time at BGS and have no fear of failure.

The inspiring Foundation Day address, delivered in February, detailed the pivotal role BGS played in Dr Shellshear’s career in mathematics and artificial intelligence.

Dr Shellshear has a PhD in Game Theory from the University of Bielefeld in Germany and many years of international experience working in the development of AI tools for various industries.

“After BGS, you will never have the freedom again to discover your passions. As you embark upon your time here, have a vision of learning to become a full human being – more than just an A in Maths C,” he said.

As the Head of Analytics at Biarri, a world-leading mathematical and predictive modelling company, Dr Shellshear is one of thousands of Old Boys who have carved out successful careers after leaving BGS.

“It is incumbent upon you to begin from this better place at BGS and tackle the world’s greatest issues knowing full well that if you fail you will be caught. You can safely leave your mark on the world and face its greatest challenges,” he said.

“By being a pioneer, you have a chance to make our existence better but to do that means going outside of your comfort zone, like I did.

“It takes more than good grades; it arises from your development as a human being here at BGS. I attended BGS due to its academic reputation, but this was only a small part of what I got out of my time here.”

I attended BGS due to its academic reputation, but this was only a small part of what I got out of my time here.