Meet Our Alumni

‍Vice President; Rates, Fixed Income Currencies and Commodities at Bank of America Securities.

‍A hard-working highflyer in study and career, alumnus Aman Sharma wants Drayton Manor students to know that studying hard is well worth it for their future career.

‍Aman studied at Drayton Manor between 2003 and 2010 and he graduated from Imperial College, London in 2013. Aiming high to achieve no lower than an 'A' in any of his subjects and in public exams, Aman achieved this goal and received A* and A grades in his subjects including Maths, Biology and Chemistry. Aman said Maths had been his favourite subject when he was at school. He believed Maths involves fast, critical and logical thinking. The concept of Maths also applies in everyday life and all circumstances.

‍With superb academic results, Aman studied Engineering, graduating with a First Class Honours in his undergraduate study. Since then, he has been working at an investment bank in the City of London.

‍Reflecting on his time at Drayton Manor, Aman said that he worked with his teachers to get the best from himself and feels that this helped him achieve so well.

‍‘The teachers looked past some of my struggles and worked with me. They saw a talent that could grow - the confidence in several teachers believing in you goes a long way.’

Associate Director of Relationship Management Systems at US Agency for International Development

‍Chris has a high regard of the education given to him by Drayton Manor. He says that the school allowed him to be a part of a community of different backgrounds in a way that is quite rare in the real world. The skills that Chris gained from learning in this environment set him up with a good foundation for his career in the humanitarian field.

‍At Drayton Manor, he won the Darryl Shave award and achieved an A in A-level History and A* in English Literature. Chris admitted that his favourite subject would be “a tight contest between History and English Literature”.

‍After studying at Drayton Manor for GCSE and A levels, Chris had a dynamic path for his future studies and career progression. He secured a place at King's College, London and completed a Bachelor’s Degree in War Studies. Soon after, he joined the US Army Reserve as a Civil Affairs specialist. Chris spent three years based out of Germany, where he completed his Master of Arts degree and worked in humanitarian assistance in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2018, he made the transition to work in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a US government agency for humanitarian aid, in Washington DC. He has now worked for the agency for almost four years.

‍Chris’ top tip for students would be to be creative about your options in life and your career. You'll have a far more exciting and fulfilling time than those who try and go down the ‘usual’ path.

We recently welcomed back former student James Lavrakas through the Drayton Manor doors. From Alaska in the US, Jim was a student at the school between 1967 and 1968 while his father was on a sabbatical in London. He described his time at the school as ‘remarkable’ and feels he grew up a lot during this short period of his life.

In 1989 he shared in a Pulitzer Prize with the News Department of the Anchorage Daily News (Alaska) where he worked at that time.

Jim was the subject of our launch alumni podcast and you can listen to his memories of his time at the school by clicking here.

Actor and former student Martin Hancock visited The Arts Faculty and spoke to us about the profession of acting. Not only did he give us unique insight into life as an actor but he also gave us some excellent tips on line learning, rehearsal techniques and method acting. Furthermore, he gave a very intriguing view into his experience of working on set with director Sir Ridley Scott during the filming of Kingdom of Heaven.

‍It was a very interesting talk and we relish the opportunity to implement what we have learnt within our own exam performances. We would like to thank Martin for giving up his time to talk to us.

Rima Tariwala 13.2.

Drayton Manor welcomed back former students Ben Reeves, David Ryde (Head Boy 1981-82) and Peter Crew (1st XI Cricket Captain 1981-82). 

‍They were interviewed for our Alumni Podcast which you can listen to here.

Simon attended Drayton Manor between 1978 and 1984. He moved to the USA in 1991 and worked for a number of years in the corporate real estate industry followed by a period of time working in IT services. He is now a Real Estate Strategy Director for the American multinational corporation, Nike.

‍On a recent trip to London he visited the school with his wife and two children. We really enjoyed meeting Simon and his family and we would like to thank them for taking time out of their trip to the UK to visit us.

‍While he was here we recorded a podcast with him and you can hear his memories of his time at the school by clicking here.

It was a pleasure to recently welcome back another very special visitor through the Drayton Manor doors. 97-year-old Constance Riordan started here in 1932 and accompanied by her nephew she was given a tour of her old school – a school that would have looked very different 86 years ago. Connie was particularly keen to see all of our sports facilities as during her time here not only was she captain of the hockey and lacrosse teams but she also went on to be the school’s sports captain.

‍Connie obviously had a great fondness for Drayton Manor as she has kept all her school books and documentation from her time here, including a request for her to come to the school to be measured for her tunic. She has kindly donated these to the school along with some of the wonderful memories that she has put to paper about her time as a Drayton Manor student.

‍Here is one of those memories.

‍One of my earliest recollections of the school – I think maybe it was even just before I was admitted – was the school name spelt out in mauve and yellow crocus round the border of the semi-circular lawn in front of the school – a really beautiful display which attracted enormous attention from passers-by.

Investment analyst, UBS Investment Bank.

Kiran studied at Drayton Manor from Year 7 to Sixth Form. She appreciated her teachers opening her mind to many different career options and opportunities outside school. 

‘I had great teachers in the subjects I studied. They increased my passion and enthusiasm for Maths and Economics, my favourite subjects. Teachers always listened and provided advice when I discussed my career aspirations with them. They also constantly challenged me to help me become a better version of myself. I am still thankful to this day for having had such great teachers.’

Kiran achieved outstanding academic results with 13 A*s at GCSE and 2A*s and 1A at A level. This allowed her to study Economics at Christ’s College, University of Cambridge. She recalls ‘Whilst studying Economics at the university was extremely challenging and stimulating, the experience was also exceptionally enjoyable and valuable.’ 

Kiran encourages students to enjoy their whole school life, by getting involved in as many things as possible  which help you to think about your career pathway. 

‘High school is the best time of your life so enjoy it while it lasts! Get passionate about your favourite subjects, explore as many different subjects as you can, get involved with different clubs and societies and explore all the opportunities out there. Find something you’re passionate about and love and follow that. Start each day with an open mind and try everything you think you might like to pursue for your career. The Careers team at school will help you discover your dream career.’

Service Management Analyst, University of Westminster.

Vikram became a Draytonian when he achieved the grades to enter Sixth Form at Drayton Manor in September 2009. He reminisced about his fantastic school life, from becoming confident in presentations to gaining life-long friendships.

‘At school, I went from never presenting ideas in front of the class to developing the confidence to go up on stage to promote a local community event to dozens of classmates. I have built long-term friendships there and I am still in touch with my friends. Besides, studying decision maths helped me to excel in my postgraduate degree. It is a useful professional skill that I passionately enjoy and helps solve many real-life problems.’ 

After completing A level exams, Vikram went on to study Business Information Systems at the University of Westminster, while juggling studying with part-time work. Through Vikram achieved a first-class honours degree. He recalled studying Statistics at A level which set a good foundation for his decision to study for postgraduate degree in Business Intelligence and Analytics.

‘My teacher of statistics was an expert and he delivered the lessons with such confidence. He developed students’ abilities in mastering the subject, such as finding indicators of the application of statistical maths models. I am incredibly grateful for the teacher’s guidance.’ 

Encouraged by his dissertation supervisor, Vikram pursued further study at Westminster University. Upon completion of his study, he was appointed by the university as a Service Management Analyst a new role in the IT department. The main job function is to apply visual analytics on data to advise the management team on decision-making for the university.    

Vikram encourages all Drayton Manor students to make the best use of their time during A levels to learn. ‘A level is the time to explore your passion about your future aspirations and to establish your own learning style, allowing you to do your very best. At university, this is where you can really apply the learning techniques that you’ve identified and mastered during your A-levels and acquire new knowledge and expertise in a subject that you are passionate about.’

We were delighted to welcome back a very special visitor through the Drayton Manor doors. 98-year-old Ivy Reeves started at the school just a year after it opened in 1931. She can been seen in the photograph from that year when she would have been just 11! This picture is proudly displayed in the main corridor of the Allenby Building.

‍You can listen to her memories from her time at the school on a podcast that we recorded by clicking here.

‍We are extremely grateful to Ivy and her son David for taking the time to visit us and we look forward to welcoming them back soon.

Former Drayton Manor student and actor Alan Mehdizadeh visited the school and gave a talk to drama students. He was a student at the school between 1994 and 1999.

‍Alan has become a renowned actor since his time at the school, appearing in many TV roles including Grange Hill and EastEnders, before taking to the West End stage. He played the role of ‘Big Davey’ in Billy Elliot between 2013 and 2015 before joining the cast of Kinky Boots as ‘Don’ in August this year.

‍He was greeted at the school by Head of The Arts faculty, Mr Warren and Head of Drama Mrs Jackson who introduced him to Drama students from a range of year groups. His talk covered his time at Drayton Manor, the difficulties of becoming a professional actor, tips on how to rehearse and learn lines and techniques for performing confidently. He then answered some of the students questions.

‍He was invited for lunch with members of the Senior Leadership Team where he was then reunited with his old tutor, Mr Bowman.

‍We would like to thank Alan for his visit and wish him the very best for the future.

‍Drayton Manor was delighted to welcome back past student, and Consultant Cardiologist at University College London, Professor Pier Lambiase. His enlightening speech to prospective medical students focused on some of the intricate surgical procedures that are carried out and the complications that may well occur. He spoke about the importance of evaluating a medical situation with a team of doctors to decide on what the best procedure might be for a patient. If surgery might be risky for one patient, it may well be the safest option for another. The development of technology was also discussed and what it has allowed Medicine to do today.

‍Problems within the Medical profession were also discussed emphasising how much responsibility a doctor holds, their extensive workload and the importance of leadership skills. Professor Lambiase spoke to students about the changes in the practice of medicine and how mortality rates for individual surgeons are now being published scaring them from performing riskier procedures.

‍Some of the attending students said…

‍“I was intrigued by the way in which modern medicine constantly develops”

‍“With Professor Lambiase’s past patient scans and 3D stimulations of the heart’s functioning, I was able to see the working of medicine come to life”

‍The Medicine Society would like to thank Professor Lambiase for giving up his valuable time to come and deliver what was an incredibly informative and enlightening presentation.

‍Written by Medicine Society Prefect, Ahmed Abotabekh (13.6).