On 16 June, the Digital Technology (DTC) senior students had a remarkable opportunity to attend a Tech Talk featuring alumnus Jared Jones Pankhurst (2015-2019). It was truly inspiring to hear from someone who was once in their shoes and now passionately working in a career he discovered during his time at St Bede's. 

Jared shared his journey of transitioning from DTC to pursuing Computer Science at the University of Canterbury, which ultimately led to his job at BNZ. The talk delved into his experiences as a programmer and highlighted the countless benefits of working in the dynamic tech industry. 

The session concluded with an engaging Q&A, allowing students to interact with the speaker. The event left an impact on our students’ minds, motivating them to pursue their passions and explore the world of digital technology further.

Read what the students had to say about the talk:

“From the tech talk we had with an old boy I learned about the paths forward and what computer science entails if I decide to go with that path in the future. I also found out what type of work there could be for someone with computer science as he created and updated software for BNZ. I found this interesting and informative towards my future career path.” - Jacob Brosnahan (Year 11)

“This talk, along with the round of Q&A that followed, greatly clarified, and gave me a better understanding of the subject and degree, as well as potential career pathways. I also learned that I do not have to exclusively pick computer sciences and that most universities offer a variety of courses that mix different subjects for more specialised learning experiences (such as electrical, computer, and mechatronics engineering to name a few…) I am truly grateful for the effort that the speaker made to give back to the St Bede’s community, and hope that others have learned as much from his talk as I have.” - Carl Tresfield (Year 11)

“The talk helped me understand where studying computer science can go.”

“The talk was all about how studying computer science opens a world of exciting possibilities. He shared his own story and showed us that computer science can lead to jobs in finance, banking, and more. It's not just about coding and computers, but about using technology to help other people”.

“Overall, the tech talk was good. It made us realise that computer science can be fun and if it’s something we’re passionate about it will take us anywhere we want to go. It was nice to hear and learn from someone who was once in our shoes and is now working in the tech world.” - Kyle Stevens (Year 13)