Alumni - A Few Years Down the

Julian Van der Waal

Class of 1999

What are some of your fondest memories of your time at Somerset? Cycling with Mr Wand, Mr Day and Mr Jackson (rest in peace). The sports days (even though I was not fast in anything). Concert band, Jazz band and Sax ensemble with Adam Rowe and Luke Jackson, was one of the most enjoyable memories. How did Somerset shape your career path? There were so many amazing people who were so good at sports (from Sarah Korlarki to Sara Carrigan), incredible arts programmes and extensive academic orientated individuals. I actually felt dwarfed by it and yet at the same time found zero ego or discrimination for someone less academically inclined. I knew I had to find a path where talking to people would generate an income. Sales seemed to be a good fit. Cycling was one of the most contributing factors in the successes I have been so very blessed and fortunate to have. Training 600 kilometres+ a week during Years 11 and 12, and then after, up to 800 to 1000 kilometres, all for the dream of what Sara Carrigan was fortunate to have in her life, was a massive goal. I realised the journey to obtaining the goal, the inherent drive, commitment and dedication were far more valuable.

Finally, it was due to the teachers, the students and the whole collective vibe of the College. Dedicated to success.

Julian with family

Everything the school provided and implemented was world class.

I am truly grateful for the collective focus on the success of the individual, as well as the holistic approach to helping students realise their dreams. Scott Fields and Jason Short singing all around the world, Margot Robbie, Sara Carrigan, and I am sure countless more alumni success stories from all year levels. How do you spend a working day? Things have changed a lot over the past few years, we had a company in Adelaide and Hobart with 40 sales agents representing some of Australia’s most prolific NFP’s. Working with well over 3500 sales agents over the past 10 years has taught me a lot about human behaviour and created an immense platform of sales coaching and team development experience. My time previously was a juggle between two core companies and a few new ventures but since closing my main company at the start of 2019, I am a lot more relaxed. I drop my daughter/s off at school (four daughters under five-and-a-half has its moments!) I run through a few emails, call potential clients and attend appointments.

Track ALUMNI – A FEW YEARS DOWN THE

Julian Van der Waal

(cont.) It has been nice stepping back from so much responsibility to now just concentrate on family and my own clients.

Throughout the week, I try to work on our new podcast. We are looking into new initiatives at the moment, mainly around the household; solar, whole house water filtration and helping new home owners get into their new property with a zero deposit campaign. Who are the people who inspire you? Great question! I don’t think there is a single person but rather a collection of life-altering people who have come and gone throughout my life. On reflection, there have been dozens over the years; Marco Pantani, Lance Armstrong (until discovering his true story) but despite circumstances to still to be that good when the whole Peloton went through their darkest days of the sport is pretty impressive. Kenny G for saxophone, Paul Di Cesare- my old boss at the restaurant. I have never seen someone work harder than him and never look tired. The guy was a machine. There has been a few mentors and confidants who have really helped shape my mentality, work ethic and strength. Mark Cuban, Richard Branson and Tony Robbins I have done quite a lot of work through his organisation. Some of the most inspirational moments have not come from a particular person but from my drive to provide for a family, even before having one! My vision for the family life I wanted was my inspiration.

Julian with family

Overall my Grandfather, was an extremely successful sales person for 30 years in Victoria. He has probably been the most inspirational person in my life. Unfortunately he was never able to see my young family or experience the sales records we have broken. I know he would have been so excited to see his grandson hit records in every division, campaign, company and industry. What life lessons guide you? My tattoos guide me in how I feel my life should flow.

“Wherever you are be there” - Grandpa If you are with your family, be there. If you are at work, be there. If you are on a holiday, immerse yourself in the entire event and you will get the most out of your life.

“Our life is the creation of the mind. What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow.” - Buddha.

What are some of your most defining moments in life, so far? I’ll always come back to cycling; so many races and training rides. One of the best, my first mountain bike race ever was the Nationals. Super hot! Cadel Evans was in the seniors and I was only 16 in the under 19s. Finishing a four year apprenticeship in 13 months and taking over the restaurant at Fahrenheit in Paradise Point, three years after I started that apprenticeship. Opening my first company in 2011 in Adelaide.

Buying the Audi RS5. I often go back to myself from third person at school and look at grades and potential applicable jobs that I thought I was “meant” to have. Life has most definitely been more impressive than I imagined it would have been.

Having a family! When you see the first child and start to develop an incredible bond with them, it is quite remarkable. Although four girls is enough, I think. I’m not looking forward to having five GHDs or Cloud Nine’s going at the same time. What advice would you offer current students? Try to keep in touch with your Class when you leave. To me, the graduating Class of 1999 had some of the most impressive, inspirational and motivating people. Some of us share some very different operational and societal views, but that is what makes a community. Whatever you do, do your very best, and then next time do better. ESPECIALLY if you don’t like it. This will teach you resilience. You will need a lot of that! Year 12 is not the end, it is just the beginning. Don’t peak at school.

Be kind to others who are not good at all the things you are. We all have different strengths and areas of growth. You never know who will do something special. Immerse yourself in all the amazing extra-curricular activities; play music, try different sports, be competitive but not ruthless, have a strong faith and believe in yourself. Don’t expect everyone else to lift you up if you can’t even get off the floor. Pressure is good, stress is not. Try to find love in what you do. If you can’t, do it faster, so you can focus on something fun. Not everything in life is meant to be fun but there will be tests. You can either win or not, the choice is yours.

Staff ALUMNI

F orrest Butcher Class of 1994 Director of Aquatics/ Head Coach

There is not a lot of history between my student life at Somerset and becoming a staff member, just a few short years. After graduating in 1994, I began university here on the Gold Coast continuing to train and compete in swimming before taking an opportunity to swim for a University programme in the United States in 1996.

Following my return to the Gold Coast to finish my degree, I visited the College where our magnificent new aquatic facility had just been built. It was amazing to see how grand a project the design and build was for Somerset. Not long after I began parttime coaching at the pool. In 2000, just before graduating university, I was successful in applying to become the swimming Head Coach at the College and looking back now, as the saying goes, ‘the rest is history’.

The best part of my role is connecting with the students and our swimmers at the Academy. There are great stories and results at every age and every level. I feel so much satisfaction in seeing our Team support and guide the students to be better and to watch their development. Success does not have to be measured in gold medals or pure results, rather, in the outcomes of each individual and against those individual’s goals. At Somerset, we have helped many lose their fear of the water, many more become a competent swimmer, helped swimmers make an APS team and even be selected onto an Olympic Team. The reward is all the same and getting the satisfaction of knowing the part I, and we, as a Team play in helping others.

Having worked at Somerset for over two decades, it is without a doubt, the staff and families of the College that make it such a great place to be. It really is a vibrant, welcoming and supportive community with friendly faces which create the feeling of being part of a really large family. The College has an amazing built environment, but it’s the people within and outside the walls who make it come alive. There’s always a smile or friendly wave in passing or a genuine ‘good to see you’ that makes you feel at home.

During my time at Somerset I have come to see a lot of change and development. In the early days, I recall demountable buildings, where commercial sized kitchens and retail space now sit, and across the road there were cattle and a dairy farm, where housing estates now sit. At the pool I now see an amazing grandstand and function room where once a grass hill, complete with seasonal bindies and ants once was. And although the College has expanded and developed from within, it continues to expand its reach into the community. The swimming pool has always had strong ties within the wider community being one of the only sports which invites both Somerset and non-Somerset families into its programmes. It has

been my pleasure to see the pool grow over the years and it now hosts many surrounding school swimming programmes, is used as a training centre for different organisations and is home to a strong Swim Club competing in a very competitive swimming region.

A large project to replace the diving blocks at the College end of the pool began in 2017 initiated by the Somerset Swim Club who partnered with the College to bring the project to life. Following much hard work from both parties, and some delays in waiting for a newly patented non slip surface, the blocks were installed in November 2019. Somerset Swim Club’s Olympian James Roberts gave the thumbs up with an official opening dive at the launch event. The new addition to Somerset’s fantastic aquatic facility will be very beneficial and widely used across all squads.

Up until 2020, my time at Somerset could have been said to have ‘seen it all’. And then there was Covid-19. It is times like these that the true sense of the word community, rather than workplace, are highlighted. Somerset is a special place with great leadership and as we recover and begin the ‘new normal’, I look forward to continuing to make my area of the Somerset community better and to continue to give my best (and the teams’ best) to helping our students. Every little piece of satisfaction gained from having a swimmer reach their goal or get another step closer helps make the journey seem so much easier.

Sourced from Somerset College archives, Forrest in 2000.

The Somerset Swim Club, partnering with Somerset College launched the brand new End Wall and Omega Starting blocks on Friday 22 November at Somerset Pool. Somerset Olympian James Roberts gave the thumbs up with an official opening dive at the event. The new addition to Somerset’s fantastic aquatic facility will be very beneficial and widely used across all squads.

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