Page 46 - The Old Ratcliffian 2015 Magazine
P. 46
46 OLD RATCLIFFIAN NEWS
surely come to be seen as one of the a leap of faith and started my own triumphs over the nativist, otherwise we’ll
greatest occupants of America’s highest company! It’s called Dreaming in Colour have a Trump voter on our hands. I see
office. I’m stopping work in the USA (not Productions, and within it, I manage various Ratcliffe friends on a relatively
retiring!) in order to reconnect with my bands, tours, run a few festivals (including regular, if not very frequent, basis, and
family and friends and, frankly, to enjoy the infamous Oxjam Takeover Festival), family ties mean that I’m never far from
the pleasures of being home. After living and put on multiple events around the an alumnus (or alumna).”
abroad for a long while, it’s the small, country. This year, I also opened my own
everyday things you miss, like listening to rehearsal rooms and recording studio in Laurence Edwards (03): “Holly Axelrad
Radio 4, English mustard, your favourite Leicester city centre.” and I are living and working in Hong
daily newspaper, public transport, pubs – Kong, and I recently proposed to her in
you know what I mean!” Vietnam! We’re hoping to get married
next August and, all being well, we will
have the wedding reception in a marquee
at Ratcliffe College.”
Paddy Scannell (62) David Meredith (92) with Orea Laurence Edwards (03) with his fiancée,
Holly Axelrad
Karen Grace (née Kruger) (00): “I have David Meredith (92): “After leaving Congratulations to distance runner Sam
been married for eight years now to my Ratcliffe, I spent an enjoyable gap year Stabler (10), who gave a tremendous
amazing husband, Matt Grace, and we swanning around the US on an ESU performance in the 5000 metre event at
have three gorgeous children together scholarship. At Oxford, I read Philosophy, the Stanford Invitational, California, in
– Olivia (6), Emma (2), and James (6 Politics and Economics, before spending April. Sam smashed his personal record by
months). Life is crazy and busy, but I am a fourth year running a student society. almost 25 seconds, completing it in a time
loving every single second! After being I then moved to the US for seven years, of 13.30.50, and taking the top spot from
a stay-at-home mum for the past two initially enjoying the (first) ‘dot-com’ Samuel Kosgei, who had held it since 2010
years, I will be launching my own business boom and the (first) ‘dot-com’ bust, with a time of 13:35:75. Sam was named
in December 2015. Having spent much then spending two years studying in as the Division I Men’s National Athlete of
of my life either in or next to a swimming Boston, where I met my wife, who was the Week by the US Track and Field and
pool with my children, I wanted a portable, doing her PhD at Harvard Medical School. Cross Country Coaches Association. Sam
reusable towel warmer to help them to After MIT, I spent an enjoyable stint as has shown an outstanding level of ability
get warm quickly after their lessons, and the Finance Director for the grassroots in this field, having competed alongside
so ‘The Towel Cozy’ was born eighteen fundraising effort of John Kerry’s Olympians and national champions.
months ago. It has been a massive learning Presidential Campaign. I’ve never worked
curve setting it up, but the new challenge harder. When Kerry lost, we decamped to Sam Stabler (10)
is brilliant. I still see many of the guys and the UK; Dory went to Oxford as a fellow
girls from my years throughout Ratcliffe, at St Johns, and I went to McKinsey &
and it is great to catch up and see those Company as a consultant. I was fortunate
who are now married and having babies!” to be elected a partner, and have found
that the prize in that pie-eating contest
Elisabeth Barker-Carley (10) is actually more pie! I now focus primarily
on healthcare, and have spent most of
Elisabeth Barker-Carley (10): “Since my time recently in Sierra Leone, helping
leaving Ratcliffe, I’ve had a whirlwind with the Ebola response. Nothing endears
adventure. After graduating from you to the mother-in-law like having the
university, I couldn’t get a job, so I took CDC show up at her house, demanding to
know where her ‘person of interest’ son-
in-law is! I hope that, by the time you read
this, Sierra Leone will be at a sustainable
zero. Dory is now at Imperial, where
she’s on faculty and runs a structural
Biology lab. We have a lovely little girl,
Orea, who delights us and is developing
strong views on science (‘Science is good,
Mommy. I want to be a scientist’) and
nationality (‘Daddy is different from us.
We’re American and he’s English’). I hope
that the rational side to her character
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