1 minute read
James Kidner Visit & Talk
On Tuesday 18th January 2023, students from the Gryphon School received a visit from James Kidner, a representative from SpeakersForSchools, who provided very useful advice on life, post-16 choices and university.
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James had lots to tell us about his widely varied career life. He worked for a bank, the Foreign Office for 30 years and, more recently, in gaming and AI – a venture that has led him to have a very interesting outlook on life. He spoke at length about independence, and how this can be visited through imagination, gaming and books. Indeed, some of his most fervent words were: to read books. Additionally, he recommended us to “network” – a feat reached through communication, connections and asking questions – he told us to “smile, smile, smile: chat, chat, chat”. It was sound advice – especially for someone who is considering their next steps.
A further topic of conversation – for a conversation it was – was freedom. One of James’ daughters has recently enlisted in the army, and in her case, freedom is a scenario of life or death. For others (examples mentioned were the Somme and the Korean war) it came at the cost of their life. Whilst he was keen to persuade us to not give our lives in the name of liberty, he encouraged us to follow our passions and do everything with enthusiasm – like his daughter had done. We are a privileged nation, and our freedom can be taken for granted. Nevertheless, James reminded us of the experiences of others – things he has seen with his own eyes through his work overseas with the Foreign Office – a plea for us to stay humble. He himself was raised on a farm in Devon, and from there he has travelled to 96 countries, both for work and leisure. He strongly recommends travelling (and taking a gap year) to allow for maximum experience of life.
It was an honour to have been visited by such an engaging person, and enlightening to hear from his experiences from life. We all learnt something, and I personally found it exceedingly interesting and informative. He gave good advice, sprinkled with anecdotes from his varied life and altogether was a lovely person.
Beá G and Ellie T
