Blog

Having just received my certificate of service and veteran pin badge, it seems a good time to reflect. 22 years service in the Royal Air Force, I was 20 years old at attestation which means I spent more of my life in service than not. Often, I think being a veteran is seen as the end of something - after all, it means "a person who has had long experience in a particular field" yet the title isn't used until you leave that field. There is a suggestion that those experiences are somehow in the past. And to a certain extent that is true... But I believe it is not about the field you are in, but what you did while you were there. And so my knowledge, skills and experience are important - but more important are the attributes I developed in my 22 years service. Setting high standards, commitment, teamwork, service, honesty and integrity. Perhaps most importantly, recognising the one lesson that always applies... no matter what is challenges you face, take it one step at a time and keep going! And so, as I embark on this new adventure with Soaring STEM - I commit to embracing the opportunities, overcoming the challenges and to keep taking those steps in the right direction. In doing so, I will achieve my mission... To improve access to educational technology through the delivery of aviation-themed STEM challenges.