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Made in Warminster
13
For Jasper Matthews (OV06) there was never any
doubt what his aim was in life – to become a pilot.
He joined Warminster as an impressionable eleven
year old. Mr Crinion recalls an avid geographer,
“Jasper was a quiet yet confident leader in all aspects
of school life. He would lead discussions, drawing on his
wider reading of the subject and possessed an innate
sense of the world and his surroundings. After he left,
he would write back to us to describe places he had
visited, many of which we covered as case studies: Brazil,
Argentina and Uruguay.” Aware that maths is a major
component in the Airline Transport Pilots’ licence,
Jasper’s requests for extra maths were met with
an increasing supply of challenging homework as he
progressed through the Senior School. For Jasper the
heady mix of maths, physics principles of flight and
astronomy was never dull!
What skills did you learn at Warminster and
how did they prepare you for the world of work?
to this day. I’ve travelled extensively over the years and I can
honestly say Warminster is a special place to be. My wife
often says she has never met someone who talks about
their old school as much as I do.
When I joined the School I was a relatively quiet and shy boy.
I left 7 years later as Head Boy, rugby captain, flights booked
around the world, university offers under my belt and a
network of friends which remain to this day. The academia,
sports and co-curricular activities were such that attributes
such as communication, problem solving, decision making
and situational awareness were honed and really brought
to the fore – they are skills I rely on and continue to
develop – both at work and home.
Can you identify a favourite subject you studied
at Warminster?
My father was a geography teacher and believed in getting
children out of the classroom. Perhaps, unsurprisingly, I always
enjoyed this subject more than any other. Whether it was the
Jurassic Coast in Dorset where we would go sailing every
summer, the favelas I observed in South America whilst travelling
or the cumulonimbus clouds I have to fly around as an airline
captain – I still find it to be the most relevant and fascinating
subject I studied at school.
Are there any memories of Warminster
which are particularly poignant for you?
I have such fond memories of the School as a whole however,
I’ll be honest, I loved sports. Running out onto Boni rugby pitch
and getting fired up with your friends for a match was brilliant.
I underestimated how much I would miss it! The infamous golf
course cross country route was a great challenge and gave us
all time to clear our heads outside of the classroom. After
attending OV events, I often speak to my parents about my
time at the School and thank them for the sacrifices they made
in order to send my brothers and me to Warminster. The staff
really cared for us and the friendships I made remain strong
Now a captain with a commercial airline, and based
in Scotland with a young family of his own, Jasper
enjoys revisiting Warminster for OV events when
his flight schedule permits.
Film link vimeo.com/359653540
How do you feel Warminster prepared you
for the next step?
I don’t pretend that the School is all things to all people,
however, from a personal perspective, Warminster nurtured
and developed the competencies I needed to move into
adulthood. In fact, I can honestly say that resilience and
flexibility have been pivotal in my personal development both
at school and over the past decade. Whether it’s university,
apprenticeships or in my case travelling the world – preparing
for the next stage in one’s life is hugely important and one I feel
was really delivered at the School. Indeed, potential seems to be
found and fulfilled at Warminster with unrelenting frequency.
