Supporting student success in a digital future

What advice would you give to young people thinking about their future careers?

Kerry: ‘You're going to be working for a long time, so make sure it's something you enjoy. I think that advice comes partly from personal experience; I went into chartered accountancy which wasn't really in my bones, though it was a good move at the time. More recently, I retrained in psychology. It’s never too late to change path. I’d recommend trying a few things, finding out what’s out there and seeing what you enjoy.’

Wol: ‘For me, two words come to mind: agility and resilience. We’re living in a volatile world where things are changing fast – dramatically faster than when Kerry and I were students. So being agile, not being scared to try something different, is very important because you’ll inevitably experience change in your work. The path to success may not be direct. That’s where you need resilience and the ability to say to yourself, “I can handle the set back and I will try again”. I hope that’s what we’re helping young people with through some of the initiatives we’re involved in.’

Imagine our digital future – 10 or 20 years from now – what do you hope has changed?

Wol: ‘I hope we’ll be focused on the benefits technology brings. Like getting rid of dull, repetitive tasks, so that we have more time for creativity and cultural experiences. Or making advances to solve big challenges we have in healthcare, for instance. We could have more affordable, and more widely available, personalised medicine in the future. I’d also like to see technology support democracy, rather than undermine it. I hope it fosters more open and intelligent discussions about what’s going on in our world.’

Kerry: ‘I would like us to be less fearful of technology in the future. I hope we won’t need to be worried about layers of passwords and security. Instead, we’ll be focusing on how we can use technology to enhance society. I want us to see it as a tool with the power to help do good, rather than something unknown to be afraid of.’

Wol, you were recently awarded the Fellowship of King’s College London. Congratulations. How did your time at King’s shape who you are today?

Wol: 'The Fellowship was a very pleasant surprise, especially when you look at the other recipients. The peer group I’ve suddenly joined is quite extraordinary.

‘I think the way that King’s helped shape me – aside from meeting my wife there! – was a lot to do with the environment. Being in London made me grow up very quickly. Although I decided engineering wasn’t right for me (and moved to a career in finance), the way engineering works, how it makes you think, is really valuable. I’ve got some great friends from King’s too.’

How about you, Kerry?

Kerry: ‘For me, it was about growing up. It was a big deal moving to London and going to university. You're very independent at King's. You have to be organised, travelling around London to get to where you need to be. And you meet so many new people with experiences and cultures different to your own. Most of all, it was a period of growth. I’ve got a lot of very, very fond memories of that time.’