MADE IN WARMINSTER
“Potential seems to be found and fulfilled at Warminster with unrelenting frequency”
**WATCH NOW (Please click on link to watch) MADE IN WARMINSTER**
For Jasper Matthews (OV06) there was never any doubt what his aim was in life – to become a pilot. He joined Warminster as an impressionable eleven year old. Mr Crinion recalls an avid geographer, “Jasper was a quiet yet confident leader in all aspects of school life. He would lead discussions, drawing on his wider reading of the subject and possessed an innate sense of the world and his surroundings. After he left, he would write back to us to describe places he had visited, many of which we covered as case studies: Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.” Aware that maths is a major component in the Airline Transport Pilots’ licence, Jasper’s requests for extra maths were met with an increasing supply of challenging homework as he progressed through the Senior School. For Jasper the heady mix of maths, physics principles of flight and astronomy was never allowed to be dull!
Now a commercial airline captain and based in Scotland with a young family of his own, Jasper enjoys revisiting Warminster for OV events when his flight schedule permits.
What skills did you learn at Warminster and how did they prepare you for the world of work?
When I joined the School I was a relatively quiet and shy boy. I left 7 years later as Head Boy, Rugby Captain with university offers, flights booked around the world and a network of friends who remain to this day. The academia, sports and co-curricular activities were such that attributes such as communication, problem solving, decision making and situational awareness were honed and really brought to the fore – they are skills I rely on and continue to develop – both at work and home.
Can you identify a favourite subject you studied at Warminster?
My father was a geography teacher and believed in getting children out of the classroom. Perhaps unsurprisingly I always enjoyed this subject more than any other. Whether it was the Jurassic Coast in Dorset where we would go sailing every summer, the favelas I observed in South America whilst travelling or the cumulonimbus clouds I have to fly around as an airline Captain – I still find it to be the most relevant and fascinating subject I studied at school.
Are there any memories of Warminster which are particularly poignant for you?
I have such fond memories of the School as a whole however, I’ll be honest, I loved sports. Running out onto Boni rugby pitch and getting fired up with your friends for a match was brilliant. I underestimated how much I would miss it! The infamous golf course cross country route was a great challenge and gave us all time to clear our heads outside of the classroom. After attending OV events, I often speak to my parents about my time at the School and thank them for the sacrifices they made in order to send my brothers and me to Warminster. The staff really cared for us and the friendships I made remain strong to this day. I’ve travelled extensively over the years and I can honestly say Warminster is a special place to be. My wife often says she has never met someone who talks about their old school as much as I do.
How do you feel Warminster prepared you for the next step?
I don’t pretend that the School is all things to all people; however, from a personal perspective, Warminster nurtured and developed the competencies I needed to move into adulthood. In fact, I can honestly say that resilience and flexibility have been pivotal in my personal development both at school and over the past decade. Whether it’s university, apprenticeships or in my case travelling the world – preparing for the next stage in one’s life is hugely important and one I feel was really delivered at the School. Indeed, potential seems to be found and fulfilled at Warminster with unrelenting frequency.
#madeinwarminster