Global leaders inspire students at their old school
Leading figures from around the globe returned to their old school, some after 35 years, to inspire the next generation of enterprising students.
Concord College, one of the best performing schools in the country for GCSE and A level results, invited former pupils back to the Acton Burnell campus, near Shrewsbury, to take part in the first ever EnterpriseFest.
The initiative was an alumni-led day designed to demonstrate to sixth formers how enterprise skills can help them secure their ideal internship, career, or even become their own boss.
Organised by Concord College’s alumni officer Alison Chadwick and Student Futures Team lead Diane van Dongen, the event saw the return of a host of Old Concordians, including the UK Government’s Small Business Commissioner Emma Jones CBE.
She was joined on stage, and later in six focus groups, by 18 alumni contributors from business and finance, as well as the NHS. Students were given an insight into professional networking, branding, leadership, how to start a business and secure funding, as well as the importance of transferrable skills that can future-proof careers.
Mrs Chadwick said: “We were delighted to have the support of so many alumni. Emma started her first business just a few years after leaving university and went on to found Enterprise Nation, as well as co-founding StartUp Britain. After catching up with her online earlier this summer, she kindly offered to share her wealth of experience with our most recent Concord cohort.”
Alumna Muibat Ijaiya left Concord in 1990 and is now an international expert in planning and executing strategies.
She said: “What a joy it was to be back at my old school after 35 years. Listening to the students, my classmate Emma Jones, the other inspiring fellow alumni and the dedicated staff left me genuinely energised.
“I was particularly blown away by the students who were so full of energy and ideas. I’m sure they are destined for great things.”
As well as alumni with established careers, the contributors included more recent former students who shared their experiences of getting top internships and even starting businesses while studying at university.
Bulut Kizilot, who left Concord in 2023, said: “It was an honour and a privilege to speak with students about the importance of networking and to share a few early lessons from my placement at the Walt Disney Company. I learned a lot from the conversations with both current students and fellow alumni.”
