Where are they now?

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO SINCE LEAVING SCHOOL?

I was at Gordon’s for Sixth Form and I absolutely loved being part of Windsor house. Coming from London, and never having boarded before, it was such a great experience. After Gordon’s I went to LCC, part of University of the Arts London to do Graphic Design. After graduating I realised quite early on that I didn’t want to become a graphic designer but also had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do! I ended up working in a few different places including a Design Agency and a Fashion Technology start-up before I started my own company.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS?

I founded a company called The Pickle House, we create award winning premium mixers; our Original Pickle Juice and Spiced Tomato Mix.

We produce everything on my grandparents’ farm in Suffolk. Our pickle juice is made from a base of distilled vinegar, sliced cucumbers, turmeric and spices and infused for 12 weeks. It’s great as an addition into many different cocktails as it adds a really lovely umami flavour. Some of our favourites include Bloody Marys and Dirty

Martinis.

We’re currently available in a range of different places including Ocado, Selfridges,

Everyman Cinemas, Brewdog, Grind Coffee and John Lewis Food Halls.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU GET THE IDEA?

I’d just come back from a trip to New York where I was first introduced to the idea of drinking pickle juice. It was summer 2013 and they were serving Picklebacks at a bar; a shot of whiskey followed by a shot of pickle juice. It sounded like the weirdest combination I had ever heard of but once I’d tried it, I had to find a way to bring it back to London.

WHAT ARE YOUR AIMS/GOALS FOR YOUR COMPANY?

The main plan at the moment is to become the go-to Spiced Tomato Mix for bars, hotels and restaurants allowing them to create a consistently great tasting and exceptional quality Bloody Marys every time. I also spent lockdown focussing on export which has launched us into Ireland, Scandinavia, The Netherlands and just recently China & Hong Kong.

TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS?

My family, they’ve always taught me to never give up, have supported me from the first day I said I was going to make Pickle Juice. And actually, all the people who laughed at the idea because I’ve always wanted to prove them wrong (and still do!)

FINALLY, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR 16 YEAR-OLD SELF?

I always wish I had been better at school. If I could go back and tell my 16 year old self to stop messing about and work a bit harder it probably would have helped me a lot!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? SOPHIE BENSON 11444 (2017)

BEING A GORDONIAN HELPED ME LAND MY DREAM JOB!

After I completed my degree last May, I had quite an unusual and challenging entrance into the world of work. Due to COVID-19, hardly anywhere was hiring, and businesses were struggling to support their own employees let alone trying to take on graduates. From the months of May to July I applied to everything from supermarket jobs to secretary jobs, pretty much anywhere that was hiring I applied to and I was either ignored or rejected almost immediately. One evening I saw an advertisement for an entry level Marketing Role at a local company called Motive. Although I found the job advertisement via Indeed.com, I did some research into Motive and emailed them directly with my CV bypassing the recruitment agency. A few days later I received a phone call from Mr Blomfield, the Director of Motive, and after an interview was offered the job the next day. Being a Gordonian definitely gave me an advantage when job searching; I was one of 300 applicants for the Marketing role at Motive, and was contacted due to Mr Blomfield having children at Gordon’s himself. He said that being a Gordonian made my application stand out from the rest. I’m very grateful for that connection and I would advise everyone to use their relationship with Gordon’s School, as well as the skills they developed there, to their advantage going into the future. Advertising your school on LinkedIn and your CV are both great ways of highlighting that connection, and forming relationships with other Gordonians could also really help get your foot in the door. Gordon’s have had such a huge part to play in my journey to getting my job with Motive; not only did my time at Gordon’s give me the confidence I needed to go and get what I want in life, but I gained so many transferable skills which I use in my work constantly.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO SINCE LEAVING SCHOOL?

Since I left school, I have been working full time as a model. I have been lucky enough to travel around the world with my job and have been living in NYC for the past 6 years. My work has taken me to all kinds of places, from retail parks in England, Milan fashion week, rural India, China, and the Victoria Secret runway. The experiences opened my eyes to so much of the world and some problems that need to be tackled – and this is where my business came from. Alongside my day job, I am now the co-founder of a start-up called HUNU!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS?

HUNU is a brand we created that is focused on finding easy, sustainable solutions. Our first product is a foldable, silicone coffee cup that is tackling the waste of single use cups. We wanted to create an alternative to single use cups that is so convenient that it is always on you for when you need it. Whether it is just for grabbing a cup of water, juice or a coffee on the go.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU GET THE IDEA? AND WHAT MAKES YOUR PRODUCT STAND OUT AGAINST THE COMPETITION?

It was an idea that my boyfriend, (and now business partner) Vince and I thought of in early 2019. We both have busy ‘city’ lives running from one coffee to another and really we had a personal need for a cup that was as convenient as slipping into your pocket. We launched it on a crowdfunding site called Kickstarter in Feb 2020. From my background in the fashion industry, I knew it was also important to make a product that someone wants to be seen with, as well as being reliable to do the job it is meant for. The original HUNU cup folds down to just 2cm and has a sleek, minimalist design that stands out from any of the competitors.

WHAT ARE YOUR AIMS/GOALS FOR YOUR COMPANY?

We want to create a community where we can share sustainable ideas while we continue to create sustainable solutions. I hope to keep educating others on sustainable practices in all different areas. I have created a podcast where I have firstly tackled the fashion industry. I have been chatting to people in fashion who use their platform to promote sustainable practices and talk about what needs to change. In the future we hope to be able to create more and more of this content to give to our HUNU community. https://podcasts.apple.com/ us/podcast/hunu-radio/id1515036755

TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS?

Fearlessness is a word that comes to mind. You have to try things and see where it takes you. Really engaging with every person you meet as you never know the lessons you can learn from them or how that contact could be helpful in the future.

FINALLY, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR 16 YEAR-OLD SELF?

To enjoy school as it will be gone in a flash! I loved my time at Gordon’s and I have such special memories from my time there. Also, try to remember to be true to who you are. My life experience as a model has allowed me to meet all different kinds of people and there are so many wonderful and unique people out there. So don’t try to just ‘fit in’ as those unique qualities will be what aids you in life!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? TORI ANDREWS 11437 (2015)

WHEN WERE YOU AT GORDON’S?

I was at Gordon’s from 2010-2015 (Year 7–11), Augusta

FONDEST MEMORIES:

My fondest memories at Gordon’s are making some amazing friends who I am still in contact with, going on the ski trip in year 10 and the summers at school (Fun Day, sports day, long light evenings)

AFTER GORDON’S:

I went on to study at Farnborough Sixth Form (2015–2017), I then took a gap year where I went to Australia for 3 months and then I joined EY doing my Apprenticeship in Accountancy in 2018.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE:

To complete my ACA qualification and to buy a property once qualified.

ADVICE TO 16 YEAR OLD ME:

Study hard as it will be worth it in the end, keep your options open and do lots of research on what you want to go and do – whether that is university or going into the workplace. To support ‘Apprenticeship Week’ and our Careers department, Tori took part in an ‘Insight into Careers talk’ about her journey after leaving Gordon’s aged 16 to join one of the largest accountancy firms in the world as an apprentice. Go to www.gordons. school/careers to watch the video.

WHEN WERE YOU AT GORDON’S?

1998–2005, Kensington

FONDEST MEMORIES:

I have so many fond memories of Gordon’s! I loved all the sport and CCF experiences, particularly being part of our stellar netball team. I made some fantastic friends in Kensington house, we had so many fun times together. And even though life has taken us in different directions over the years, we are still close friends now.

AFTER GORDON’S:

After Gordon’s I went to The University of Kent to study Business Administration. In my third year I managed to secure an internship at Microsoft which started my career in technology. I went on to do the Microsoft graduate scheme and joined the Office 365 Product Marketing team. I stayed there for a few years and then went to work for Skype on their mobile apps. Now I work at Facebook in Product Management and live in Dulwich with my fiancé and our beloved dog. I love working in technology and hope that I can build products that have a positive impact on the world. I mentor lots of people and hope tech becomes a more accessible industry, especially for women. My long-term plan is to start my own company.

ADVICE TO 16 YEAR OLD ME:

Enjoy every moment of Gordon’s, life gets tougher! Be persistent, kind and bold. Focus on what you love and think about how you can be useful to make the world a better place.

MAX BEKEN 11746 (2017)

WHEN WERE YOU AT GORDON’S?

2012–2017, Sandringham, Head Boy.

FONDEST MEMORIES:

Playing football under Gareth Hall with the first team and all the success that came with it, as well as the many amazing Drama productions I took part in all through my 7 years at the school. I will also always cherish my time in Sandringham making friends for life.

AFTER GORDON’S:

After leaving Gordon’s I found work as a waiter at a golf club and in all my free time I was putting in effort to get acting work. I worked on set with Guy Ritchie with ‘The Gentlemen’ and I also filmed two commercials for Wimbledon and Thorpe Park which didn’t get shown due to covid. I was very lucky to manage to get a small role on Netflix’s Bridgerton where I filmed for 3 months and got to spend most days working closely with the main cast and crew; my year finished with having a main part on an independent horror film called ‘Devil Djinn’. During this time I was also auditioning for drama schools and was lucky enough to get into LAMDA on their foundation Course which has been the most amazing and eye opening experience into acting and acting training.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE:

Currently I am now auditioning for 3 year courses at Drama schools and also preparing for going back into the industry. Depending whether or not I get through the rigorous audition process, I will eventually go back into the industry where I will continue to go for bigger projects and find more exciting roles.

ADVICE TO 16 YEAR OLD ME:

Give everything a go and do it with 100% effort and commitment and never completely shut any doors of opportunity.

SAMUEL HARRISON 9919 (2003)

WHEN WERE YOU AT GORDON’S?

1998–2003, Khartoum

FONDEST MEMORIES:

To this day most of my closest friends are classmates from Gordon’s. There’s a group of about 10 of us that is extremely tight. Our trip to Newquay when we graduated from Gordon’s was an amazing time and led to lifelong memories..

AFTER GORDON’S:

Studies: MBA, University of Cambridge (UK), MSc Finance, IE Business School (Spain), BSc Management Studies, University of Nottingham, UK Work: Currently Co-founder & Managing Partner – Blockchain.com/ Ventures (California). Hobbies/Home Life: I enjoy surfing, snowboarding, wakeboarding and kitesurfing. Luckily, I can do all of them in California.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE:

I’ll move back to the UK at some point to be with family. Post my Venture Capital career, I plan to focus on non-profits, mostly relating to financial education and inclusion, as well as Parkinson’s research.

ADVICE TO 16 YEAR OLD ME:

The world is much bigger than it seems when you’re young, and success in academia doesn’t directly translate to professional success. Academic accomplishment does, however, help keep as many doors open to you as possible when you’re older. I struggled with school, but getting decent grades was the necessary stepping stone to get where I wanted to go. Ultimately, your professional life will be a lot happier if you can find something that you enjoy doing that also has a high ceiling in terms of your ability to earn & advance and represents an area of future explosive growth.