Alumni Newsletter

or sea conditions causing us to divert our course. As long as
you are honest and clear with the passengers about why you
are taking such actions and how things will be affected then
they will always be on your side. I dine with the passengers
every evening and many presume I studied Travel and Tourism
or Geography at University to have ended up in this line
of work, and are stunned to discover I read Pure Mathematics
at Manchester. It certainly is an excellent conversation
starter!
My advice would be to do it while you can! I made the
change just a year after graduating, and haven’t looked
back. The beauty of having a degree from The University of
Manchester is that it is internationally recognised as a magnificent
seat of learning, and once you have that degree, noone
can take it away from you. You can always fall back on it
and use it elsewhere. When I started working on cruise ships
I had no idea whether or not I would last 15 minutes, let
alone 15 years. However, I did it knowing that if it didn’t
work out I could hold my head up high, knowing I’d given it a
try, but then use my honours degree to gain employment
elsewhere. You never know what doors will open in front of
you or where your path will lead, but it was the best decision
I ever made. I very much doubt I would have made the
change without having the experience of life at a world-class
university and the strength of character and determination
to succeed that was bestowed upon me.
Playing with a Cuban band in Havana
Have you ever met any Manchester alumni while chatting
with your guests?
Yes, over the course of dinner conversations I have often
come across fellow Manchester alumni. Many are interested
to talk about the merger with UMIST, and about how they
remember the university. It seems strange to think that I can
add to those memories now, given the changes that have
taken place in the relatively short time since I graduated.
The Maths Tower doesn’t even exist anymore. I just wish I’d
taken a photo from the 17 th floor when I had my tutorials
with Dr Alan Jones! What I find fascinating with talking to
fellow alumni is how not only they speak about how the university
has developed, but also about how the city itself has
developed. Manchester is certainly ever-changing and it’s
always interesting to go back there and discover areas that
have had a new lease of life. The city has an incredible personality
which I feel is both partly driven by and reflected in
the vibrancy of the University.
Sailing under Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australia
Standing on the monument of Borobudur on the Indonesian island of Java
What advice would you give other Manchester alumni who
are considering a career change?
On the back deck sailing down Milford Sound in the New Zealand fjords
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