As part of celebrating 95 years of Marist education, St Henry’s has launched an entrepreneurship guest speaker series entitled: Marist Alumni Journeys – Inspiring the Future of Tomorrow. Alumnus and contacts from the Marist community will be invited to come to the school once a term to share their insights and their journeys with the St Henry’s pupils.

“By bringing real-life examples closer to home, we aim to make the journey of business and Marist success more relatable and achievable for our students,” says Kerry Phillips, St Henry’s Marist Trust Manager. Alumnus, Dean Horn, the Managing Director of Super Tyres, was invited as the first guest speaker to address the high school pupils on Tuesday, 12^th March 2024. Dean shared his insights into ‘The keys to a successful life’ and encouraged the students to reflect on their own paths and the choices they make.

Caitlin Edwards, Dean Horn, Chris Nxumalo and Kerry Phillips

“Dean’s message on the power of knowledge and the importance of finding one’s own path to learning resonated with so many students. He shared that one doesn’t need to be an “A” student to gain knowledge and that you can be successful if learning is part of your daily routine. Dean’s emphasis on time management, avoiding procrastination and being mindful of the influence of those we surround ourselves with, offered our students invaluable guidance as they navigate their own journeys,” says Phillips. In addition, Chris Nxumalo, Super Tyres Marketing Assistant, was invited to share his journey and his drive for empowering others.

“Chris’ emphasis on accountability and taking responsibility for one’s own life direction is such an important message. He shared his personal challenges and showed that ‘life is not happening to you but happening for you’. His personal testament to the significance of owning our decisions and their role in shaping our futures was a powerful message that I am pleased our students were able to hear and learn from,” added Phillips. Mr Horn has subsequently generously offered to sponsor the start of an audiobook library with some inspirational titles. “On behalf of everyone at St. Henry’s, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Dean and Chris for taking the time to speak with our students. Their willingness to share their personal journeys, some of the challenges they have overcome, and the wisdom they’ve acquired along the way was not only generous but truly inspiring,” concluded Phillips.

St Henry’s Marist College Learners listening intently