Life beyond Radford
Mark Wilson
- The Australian National University, International Relations
What does life look for you now?
Still slogging out the education at ANU doing an International Relations degree, playing in a few bands in and around Canberra, and working a steady job - so I have nothing to complain about.
When you were young, what were you hoping to be when you grew up?
Engineer, musician, race car driver.
What is your favourite Radford moment?
I can’t pick a single one, so I’ll give the top 3:
- Senior Rowing; going to the nationals in the 2nd crew and making the A-finals
- going up to G6
- Year 9 Camp
(feel free to pick one if this counts as cheating)
Do you have a particular role model or inspirational figure from Radford or now?
I have a few, but H was probably most influential - he helped me unlock a lot of my potential and I’m forever grateful for the opportunities he gave me.
I should also mention Mr Piggott, for helping to broaden my horizons through Year 11-12 - I learned a lot more from him than I realised at the time.
How easy was it to decide what to do in life?
I'm still deciding - I’ve been taking things as they come, day-by-day, instead of following some obscure long-term goal; it’s put me on a path I never expected, but that I always wanted.
Did your further study or career go exactly as you'd planned?
Not at all - I went through Years 11-12 and first year of uni expecting to do aerospace engineering before settling on IR.
What do you know now, that you wish you'd known when you were at Radford?
You don’t have to do what you think will ‘look’ the best for you - you should do what you know you can do well, and what you enjoy doing, because that will work best for you in the end.
What advice do you have for current students?
Don't put all your focus on the ATAR - do what you enjoy doing, take classes you like, be part of a co-curricular program, don’t forget to have fun.
Anything else that you would like to share?
Don’t listen to people who pretend to know what they’re doing, because one day you'll realise nobody really does. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes - if you don’t make them, you can’t learn from them, and to do what you want you have to learn how to do it. Talking in clichés is fun.