On the 2nd of May, we had the pleasure of hosting Darron Edwards (OR1980-1985) for an enlightening talk titled "From School Leaver to IT Professional: A Journey of Success".

Darron shared his inspiring journey from an ordinary background, starting as a school leaver with no defined career path, to achieving success in the IT industry. Currently, he holds the position of Partner Technologist at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Along the way, he discovered his strength and genuine satisfaction at work by tackling complex challenges with comprehensive technology solutions, leading to positive outcomes. He also stressed the significance of authenticity and finding fulfilment in the work you're passionate about.

We were also fortunate to have Matt Nicholls, UKIMEA – Early Careers Leader of HPE, join us to provide valuable insights into early career experiences.

We express our heartfelt gratitude to Darron and Matt for their invaluable contribution to our students' education and for generously sharing their expertise with us. Their commitment to inspiring and empowering the future generation of computer scientists is truly admirable, and we deeply appreciate the positive influence they've had on our school community.

If you're interested in imparting your professional knowledge to our students through a brief talk, workshop, tutorial, or inspire lecture, please reach out to Jas Chhokar or Esther Chong at alumni@reading-school.co.uk.