Former School Captain Andrew McCalister [2004], son of governor Malcolm McCalister and older brother of Jonathan [Senior 1]recently visited the School en route to pursuing a "business opportunity" in California.
Here is Andrew's recent story:
"After leaving Belmont in 2004 I studied Product Design Engineering at the University of Glasgow. A few eager readers may remember my final year project that consisted of a netting technology that mitigated the effect of car bombs. It won a few awards throughout the year and hence received some press exposure. Following Glasgow I was offered a Scholarship to read for an MPhil in Engineering and Management at Cambridge University. Out of all my years of study, Cambridge definitely proved to be the most enjoyable. Although the social side was fantastic you were consistently pushed to produce the highest calibre of work and I somehow managed to walk away with a Distinction (a complete fluke if you ask me). Since graduating I have been offered a job with a management consultancy in London but I don't feel I am quite ready for the suit and the drizzle that comes with it. Therefore I am following my passion for entrepreneurship and heading out to Silicon Valley for four months. While I am over there I will be carrying out an internship for a startup and writing a report for the Royal Academy of Engineering. At the age of 23 I have become the youngest ever awardee of the Global Research Award from the Academy, that is usually hands it out to 40-50 year old professors to improve their research. In the long term I foresee a permanent move to the West Coast in order to start a venture myself, with the grand ambition to, in the words of Steve Jobs (founder of Apple), 'make a dent in the Universe'".
Andrew is one of the many outstanding young men and women who have left the School in recent years and who are now pursuing their careers around the globe. We hope to make their stories a regular feature of our website and if you are a former pupil of the School and would like to share with us your recent progress please do contact the School via admin@belmontschool.co.uk or direct to the Principal on mshanks@belmontschool.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.
While Andrew is in San Francisco he will be writing a blog for business7.co.uk and startups.co.uk called 'letters from Silicon Valley' and he would be delighted if you follow his progress via his blog .
