Lachlan Marais-Gilchrist

Have you undertaken any kind of further study since leaving Bedales and have you gained any further qualifications?

After Bedales I enrolled on an intensive Access to HE course at Guildford College, focusing on arts and humanities subjects, finishing in the summer of 2008. I then graduated with a BA in Philosophy (2:1) from the University of York in 2011 and I am currently studying for an MSc in Public Policy at the University of Bristol, graduating in summer 2015.

What kind of work are you currently involved in, and how and why have you come to be doing it?

I am currently working as a part-time duty manager in a bar, alongside studying for my MSc.  I fell into bar work between degrees but it has proven to be quite useful.  It has improved my confidence as well as my communication and interpersonal skills.  It has provided much needed social contact during otherwise very isolating periods of study and, to top it off, I will be finishing my MSc with valuable management experience on my CV.

Did attending Bedales help you in getting to where you are now and how satisfied are you with what you are doing?

Perhaps this reads like a cliché or an empty platitude but attending Bedales shaped some important values and kindled my pursuit of knowledge and understanding.

Have you been involved in any other interesting activities or occupations since leaving school?

I co-founded a small (500 copies per issue) campus-based music magazine with friends while at York, in response to what we perceived as the poor standard of music journalism in the existing campus media. It rapidly grew into the dominant music magazine on campus and has since become a fully-fledge society, hosting concerts and club nights (https://www.yusu.org/activities/societies/1272).

I served as Head of Music for University Radio York in my second year, during which time I oversaw the redesign of the website, helped organise two of the largest concerts ever seen on campus, and edited the weekly official music show.