Andrew joined RNCSF's Springboard Programme for sixth form over a decade ago.

Today, he is a Master of Economics at Eton College and a valued member of our Advisory Board.

As he reflects on the last ten years, Andrew shares how education, opportunity and the people around him have shaped his journey.

"It is remarkable to look back over the past 10 years. It feels surreal to be approaching my third decade on the planet and, even more remarkably, to have had RNCSF as part of half my life. The support I have received from, and given to, RNCSF has allowed me to develop in ways I had never comprehended. There has been a significant amount of change in my life, as well as many lessons learned along the journey.

When I think about the biggest change over the past decade, it is probably a change in my temperament, something my mother is incredibly thankful for.

I have always been inquisitive and ambitious, but probably also rather headstrong and stubborn as a child. Being exposed to a variety of different environments, ideologies and experiences, both academic and social, forced me to take a considered moment to think before I talk and to understand the vastly different motivations behind people's views, decisions and actions. That exposure expanded my horizons, which is ultimately what the scholarship was designed to do.

The ability to pause, reflect and analyse has proven incredibly valuable. As a Master of Economics at Eton College, I find myself drawing on those skills every day. The changes in my attitude and outlook have also helped me develop and solidify my views on society, social mobility and talent development.

I never imagined I would become a teacher. Even after attending Eton as a student, I would never have expected to find myself back here as a member of staff. It is something I am incredibly proud of.

Looking back, I do not think that would have been possible without the environments that helped shape me or the many fantastic people who offered guidance along the way. Through listening to others and sharing experiences, I have gained a deeper understanding of what motivates people and, perhaps most importantly, what motivates me. Those experiences have helped me grow enormously as a person, and I remain indebted to the long list of inspirational people I have met throughout the journey.

My time as a student continues to influence the way I work today.

A significant part of my role involves sixth-form admissions, and I still remember the trepidation of that initial application process. Reflecting on my own experiences as a teenager, shapes how I look for potential in others and how I try to create environments where young people can show the very best version of themselves.

Joining Eton placed me in a high-performing, high-expectation environment. That experience continues to influence the way I think, not only in the classroom but also in my work with Brentford Football Club and Sport England.

If I am honest, I also benefited from a degree of healthy delusion and naivety when I first applied. It helped me minimise the gravity of the situation and approach the opportunity with confidence.

However, once I arrived, I quickly realised the importance of asking for help. There were challenges and adjustments to navigate, and those experiences taught me that seeking support is not a weakness. As a result, I have become far more open to asking for help, whether professionally, socially or personally, and that has served me well in recent years.

If I were being cynical, I would say my life has not progressed that much. After all, I am back in the same physical place I was more than ten years ago, albeit standing at the front of the classroom rather than sitting in it.

In reality, the biggest change is that I have developed the capacity to think.

That may sound pretentious, but I have been afforded the luxury of critically examining who I am and what role I might play in society. I have sat in rooms with exceptional people, often students, who have challenged me to explain how I view the world. Those conversations have been a tremendous blessing, even when they have been slightly uncomfortable. Teenagers can be wonderfully probing.

Returning to my alma mater has played a huge role in my development. I look at many of my colleagues with genuine awe, and there is a large section of the common room that has directly and indirectly pushed me to improve. That healthy pressure has helped me become the person and professional that I am today.

The past decade has been full of weird and wonderful experiences, and I am excited to see what the next ten years have in store. If my journey so far has taught me anything, it is that growth comes from the people, places and opportunities that challenge us to think differently about ourselves and the world around us.”