Harper Life Magazine 2020

—Harper Life Nov 2020 WHAT THE TRUSTEES SAY With a passion for everything agricultural, I naturally found my way to Harper Adams and enrolled in September 1996, at the tender age of 19. I had been through a couple of particularly tough years and wasn’t expecting much frommy time there. I began to study BSc Agriculture but within a month or two something didn’t feel quite right. A chance encounter with a rather eccentric Senior Lecturer changed all that, and I was encouraged to transfer to the fantastic but often overlooked Rural Environmental Protection degree. After four incredible years I left the Edgmond campus with a tear in my eye, a new life and a whole new family of friends. Following a brief spell in consultancy, I was easily tempted back to Harper in order to deliver new reach-out activity. My role expanded, I became the Placement Manager for the Countryside and Environment courses and took on some lecturing duties. In 2005 I left the comfort of Harper to take on a whole new challenge, developing a thriving leisure and tourism business in South Nottinghamshire. As an active supporter of the Harper Adams Club for the last 20 years I have served as Club President twice (2006 – 2008 and 2014 – 2016). I have been involved with awarding student Scholarships since 2003 and was elected to the Development Trust Board in 2015. I started the popular ‘Grow Your Own Business’ event at Harper, the awarding of the Harper Spirit Prize and I deliver an annual presentation, providing support for students on applying for scholarships. In my spare time I love tackling mountain sports. I am a keen snowboarder, skier, mountain climber and trail runner. This year I have been training to compete in one the worlds most challenging and toughest endurance events in the Himalayas, like everything else this year, sadly it was cancelled. I believe Harper students acquire a very special quality, they never fail to impress me with their ingenuity, determination, practicality and spirit. Harper gave me the confidence to ‘have a go’, I am grateful for that and proud to still be part of something incredibly special. 6 PETERWARD As an alumnus, I am particularly delighted to serve with the constant development enabled by charitable contribution to the University and by the continued support and encouragement for our students with the Scholarship Scheme. The Harper leadership, who are renowned for distinction with applied academic development, probably had a sense of inspiration in inviting several people from a wide base of achievement who are keen to gift their experience as trustees. It was interesting to talk with the head of education for my livery in London, the Company of Farmers, who told me that Harper people in agriculture, both in training and further in career, were splendid with integrity and with their attitude to work achievement. Our undergraduates must surely note the importance of reputation for the prospects of the entire community team. SIMON JONES www.harper-adams.ac.uk