Milly Maudsley L10
From the moment I arrived at Charterhouse (or at least once my blisters from hurrying back and forth between Old and New schools had healed!) I really felt so welcomed. I have countless fond memories: from racing round Pontifex, to the feeling of sitting in Chapel as the whole School roared Jerusalem, to dashing back after late school being pelted by snowballs, to chatting my way through Orchestra practice waiting for the flutes to finally come in, to school traditions like the 50 mile walk and visiting Sutton’s Hospital. I also felt very lucky to have encountered so many brilliant teachers, whose lessons were expansive and mind-broadening, and not restricted to the confines of “how to pass the exam”.
I went straight on from School to read History at Queens’ College, Cambridge. I loved the wonders of May Ball season, the beauty and antiquity of the city, and of course actually studying history – spending whole terms immersed in the middle ages was heaven for me!
After graduation, I became a maths teacher with Teach First – a two-year programme where participants qualify (on the job) as a teacher in schools in challenging circumstances. I was assigned to a school in Chatham. To be in charge of classes of 30+ teenagers only a few years younger than me, and to have the huge responsibility of preparing them for their GCSEs, was sometimes a struggle, but was leavened with sheer joy when things went well for a particular class or pupil.
On completion of the programme I joined KPMG, where I qualified as an accountant and also participated in KPMG's outreach programme, mentoring local schoolchildren.
My favourite clients were a champagne wholesaler in Wandsworth (for obvious reasons!) and a big charity which required liaising with other KPMG teams all over the world from the DRC, to Guatemala, to Pakistan.
I now work for the drinks company Fever-Tree in the Finance team. It is a young and fast-growing business, which keeps things exciting, and there is also a very close-knit, collaborative culture. Lock-down has of course been an odd time, but I am very thankful that work has continued to be busy, with the business running as usual and supporting all its staff, as well as suppliers, customers and the local community.
Outside of work, lock-down also meant the postponement of my wedding, which was meant to be this May. In the grand scheme of things, it’s only a small delay, so we’re mainly just hoping for a return to normality and swift recovery from this crazy year for everyone. Lock-down has even brought some unexpected positives; I’ve enjoyed the increased feeling of community spirit and have a new-found appreciation for just being able to do the small things like go out for dinner or see family.
In more usual times, outside of work I enjoy running, participating in OC cross country events when I can, and running the London Marathon for Children with Cancer. I love singing too and have set up a Fever-Tree choir, which was great fun over last Christmas.
I am still very grateful for such a wonderful two years and the treasure trove of happy memories and friends I gained. Seeing a different school experience as a teacher made me all the more appreciative of the opportunities available to us at Charterhouse and how extraordinary they really were. The dynamism, breadth of knowledge and kindness of the teachers also made a lasting impact on me, and I think this is a key part of what makes Charterhouse such a special place.
