28th Jan 2025
As we approach our centenary year at Belmont House School, we wanted to look back, and reconnect with former pupils, near and far.
Here we have a series of thoughtful questions that we ask our alumni focusing on their lives, successes, and the school’s influence.
Name: Robert Kalman
Time period as a pupil at Belmont House: 1991 – 1996
Current Occupation: Head of Sales and Marketing at Sony Semiconductors
How did your time at Belmont House School shape your career path?
It was the passion which the teachers had for their subjects. There is no doubt that their passion was infectious and shaped the choices I made about what to study at university and eventually drove my career path.
I used to have friends (who didn’t go to Belmont) come round to my house to make photocopies of all the revision materials which we were provided with by our teachers. There is no doubt that the extra work and the extra effort put in by my teachers to prepare all this was one of the reasons I did so well in the exams.
Can you share a key moment or memory from your time at Belmont that had a lasting impact on you?
I was lucky enough to take part in the rugby tour in Canada. This was an experience that none of us will ever forget. I’m not sure that Mr Scott and Mr Shanks want everyone to know that they shaved their heads to be part of the team, but no one will ever forget that part.
What skills or lessons learned at Belmont have been most valuable in your professional life?
I absolutely hated it at the time, but the most valuable skills I learned at Belmont were my language skills.
I left Scotland in 2005 and now use the language which I learned at Belmont every day. I can still hear Mrs Muir shouting at me when I can’t remember a word.
It was a great school. I don’t need to say much more than that. Staffed by great teachers, with a real passion for helping us all. I was really angry when my parents told me I would have to go to a school with a dark purple blazer, but now I’m proud of it.
What advice would you give to current Belmont students who want to follow a similar path to yours?
At the time exams feel like the most important thing in your life, but they are not. Once you leave education, the much more important things are whether you can build relationships, effectively communicate, or work in a team. Don’t forget to practise these whilst you also concentrate on getting good exam results.
