Bursary student interview: 10 years on
Hector Halford-MacLeod (Ca 2011-2016)
Do you remember how you felt when you found out that you were able to come to Fettes?
Nervous, excited, and that my horizons had been broadened. I knew no one at the school beforehand so this was a big step into the unknown for me.
Despite the nerves and, even at a young age, I had the feeling that great things were coming and that the next five years would be an adventure.
As it turns out, I was correct.
What are your best memories of Fettes?
There are many great memories but to select a few, winning back-to-back House Singing competitions with Carrington, competing in the Scottish Islands Peaks Race, touch rugby on the Beaches in summer, playing and watching coffee concerts and without a doubt Congers on a Saturday morning!
How did your time at Fettes help you academically, through extracurricular activities and personal development?
There is no doubt in my mind that Fettes has shaped me in all three ways mentioned.
The superb education helped me to achieve a place at Durham University where I received my degree in music. However, the academic education went much further as the teachers developed my intellectual curiosity across a range of fields and encouraged me to challenge, critique and explore ideas with confidence.
Outside of the classroom I spent a lot of time doing music with the chapel choir, school orchestra and also as a solo pianist. Playing music became very much a passion for me and strongly influenced the degree I eventually chose. On the playing fields, running and rugby were my strengths (rugby perhaps a dubious strength) and even in freezing, horizontal rain it always felt like an honour to represent the school.
Culturally, Fettes offers much through an international student body and outlook whilst retaining strong ties to its beating Scottish heart. The opportunity to share Burns Nights and ceilidhs with nationalities from across the world is rare and a privilege.
Finally, I was fortunate enough to be Head of Carrington House and Head of School. These experiences taught me lifelong lessons in both leadership and camaraderie and are perhaps my proudest achievements during my time at Fettes.
10 years on from leaving, what impact do you think a Fettes education has had on your life and will continue to have?
Whilst Fettes has undoubtedly helped me to achieve academic and career goals in my life so far, perhaps the strongest influences on me have been to be ambitious, confident and conscientious in whatever I seek to achieve.
Beyond this, the academic and extra-curricular education undoubtedly forms well-rounded and interesting students with the character, tools and network to seize the opportunities life presents.
Why has your bursary been important to this?
Put simply, I would not have had this education without the generous bursary Fettes gave me. The bursary unlocked my potential and prepared me for life after school in ways that I could not have foreseen on my first day as a Fettesian.
What would your message be to donors and anyone considering donating?
I consider myself very lucky to have received financial support throughout my education. I am grateful for the many, often anonymous donors that have allowed students like me to embrace the Fettes values of aiming high and giving back with kindness, curiosity and creativity.
Giving back can take many forms, but what I do know is that acts of kindness no matter how large or small encourage further acts of kindness, both in the present moment and far into the future.
Final thoughts
I’d like to wish the Harrisons the very best for the future and thank them for their leadership and nurturing support for so many Fettesians.
If you are able to contribute to the Harrison Bursary Fund, you’ll be contributing to a truly meaningful cause that will provide future generations with the lifelong influence I’ve been so fortunate to have received.
