Exonians scale Kilimanjaro for Exeter
Seventeen Exonians and a friend of Exeter College are currently climbing Kilimanjaro to raise money towards Exeter’s Annual Fund. The feat also helps to mark the start of Exeter’s 700th anniversary year.
The trek began on Friday 27 September and it is hoped that the group will reach the summit of Africa’s tallest mountain on Thursday 3 October.
You can read about the people attempting this challenge and show your support here.
In September 2013 a team of Exonians will climb Africa’s tallest mountain to raise money for Exeter College’s Annual Fund. Find out more about the volunteers here and click on the links to sponsor them today.
Ana-Zeralda Canals Hamann (2004, Clinical Medicine)
I was born in Palma de Mallorca, with a Spanish father and a German mother. I ended up going to school and university in the UK. After going to university and studying a Masters in London, I got an MRC PhD scholarship at Oxford to do my DPhil in Molecular Medicine. Exeter College was the college that I chose due to its beauty, history and warmth. Never regretted that choice! When I finished my DPhil at Oxford, I started working for a small multinational health consulting firm, based in Palma de Mallorca. 5 years have gone by and I am currently the Director for Scientific and Customer Services at the same firm, which has grown exponentially. We are currently the breakthrough specialists in genetic analyses and preparing personalised health programmes orientated in preventive medicine.
Ever since I was a young girl, I have had a fascination with Africa. After having been several times and to several areas of the continent, Africa has always marvelled me, and therefore when I saw that Exeter College was organising a trek to Kilimanjaro, I decided that that would be my next and once in a lifetime African adventure.
Sponsor Ana-Zeralda here.
Emma Carroll (2005, PPE)
Four years on from running the marathon and I thought it was high time for another endurance challenge. Despite my boyfriend warning me about the perils of ‘adventure challenge inflation’ I thought that hiking up Mount Kilimanjaro was an opportunity not to be missed. And what an excellent reason to do it, to celebrate Exeter’s 700 years! I am really excited about being reunited with Christine, Pippa and Catherine, all of whom studied at Exeter at the same time as me, and am looking forward to completing what I’m sure will be an awe-inspiring adventure with them and the rest of the group. I’d like to thank you in advance for all your support and will be sure to share photos and stories with you from the summit.
Sponsor Emma here.
Peter Collins (1970, Chemistry)
Peter read chemistry at Exeter 1970-74, with a part II on the early history of chemistry. That led to a PhD on the social history of science at Leeds and, eventually, a career spent mostly at the Royal Society where he held various roles in science policy, history of science and corporate governance. He is now the Society’s first Emeritus Director. He is researching a book on the Society’s post-war history, to be published by CUP in 2015, and is discovering other forms of entertainment such as serious walking. He lives near Newbury and is married with three adult children. One of them, Christopher, also went to Exeter (2003, Maths) and married another Exonian, Jennifer, (2005, Law).
Sponsor Peter here.
Chris Drake (1975, Jurisprudence)
Chris has lived in Asia for over twenty five years and is currently working in Hong Kong in a small family office. He has also been active with a number of charity or non-profit organisations for many years and is currently the Chairman of The Asia-Pacific Network for Moral Education and the Association for Living Values Education, a co-founder of The Mother and Child Health and Education Trust and TCK Learning Centre for Migrant Workers in Hong Kong. Having read Jurisprudence at Exeter College, he is the Chairman of the Advisory Group of Oxford University’s China Office in Hong Kong.
Sponsor Chris here.
Richard du Parcq (1961, Chemistry)
Richard du Parcq read chemistry through most of the 1960s, quite a lot of college rowing over seven years, spot of University Challenge with Stanley, scandalously entertained a woman undergraduate [Shock! Horror!] in the new bar when it moved from Staircase 2 in 1964.
Metropolitan Police Civil Staff for thirty-five years, ended up doing most of the performance stats. Married Diane – same employer and rowing clubs – and has lived near the Thames in Barnes for forty years. Five children and four grandchildren live within walking distance.
Licensed rowing umpire for thirty years, rowing club treasurer, and serious rowing bore. Had a lot of fun from rowing, won a few pots; also started 24 marathon road races 1981-2000, finished most of them, but getting slower and slower.
Retired 2003, “downsized” 2010 close to the river, rowing administration, church and community affairs, tiny garden and allotment, grandchildren to keep me young, some travel in Europe, and a new craving to trek up mountains.
Sponsor Richard here.
Anthony Green (1979, Modern Languages)
Anthony has been enjoying the Southern Italian sunshine since graduating in Modern Languages in 1983. He teaches at the Veterinary Faculty, Bari University. He has two teenage children, and is Buddhist. The highest mountain he has climbed before Kilimanjaro is Punta Corrasi, Sardinia, May 2012, at 1458 metres. Gulp!
Sponsor Anthony here.
Stanley Johnson (1959, English)
Stanley Johnson was Senior Scholar (Classics) at Exeter College, Oxford 1959-63. While at Oxford, he won the Newdigate Prize for Poetry. He has worked for the World Bank and the European Commission and has been a Member of the European Parliament. He has had ten books published dealing with environmental issues. He has also had nine novels published, including The Commissioner which was made into a film starring John Hurt. In 1984, he won the Greenpeace Prize for Outstanding Services to the Environment.
Sponsor Stanley here.
Christine Kelly (2004, PPE)
Christine is a staff associate with the Population Council, an international NGO based in New York, but is currently working in Zambia and Malawi conducting fieldwork for two research studies related to adolescent health and education.
Prior to joining the Council, Christine worked in Ghana as deputy producer of a TV documentary chronicling the country’s post-independence economic development and edited the manuscript of its accompanying book. She has also travelled extensively in Sub-Saharan Africa and is looking forward to tackling the mighty Kilimanjaro!
Christine graduated from Exeter College in 2007 with a B.A. in PPE and subsequently completed an M.Sc. in Demography and Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Sponsor Christine here.
Jintao Liu (2002, Engineering)
Jintao is a product of globalisation, he was born and raised in China, studied in Singapore, Dulwich and Oxford, worked in New York and London and is right now living in Hong Kong but travels to Mainland China for work every day. He works for an investment holding company as a project manager. He loves traveling and photography. He is married to a New College girl down the Holywell street.
Sponsor Jintao here.
Jonathan Miller (1982, Modern History)
Jonathan arrived at Exeter in 1982 and read modern history under the guidance of Dr Maddicott, Dr Slack and Dr Tyerman. He was a cartoonist for the Stapeldon magazine, secretary of the Adelphi, and won blades in Torpids 1985; he then moved on to the army, RMA Sandhurst and service in the Royal Hussars. Now a barrister, he practices in London from chambers at 1 Essex Court in the Temple, specializing in deceit, dishonesty and equitable fraud.
Sponsor Jonathan here.
Clive Neil (1985, Physics)
Clive lives in South East London and works on restoring period properties. He is keen on winter sports and has a wonderful six-year-old son who skied his first black solo this year. They also enjoy long summer road trips to Europe in their camper van.
Sponsor Clive here.
Catherine Page (2004, Modern Languages)
Catherine is a European Fast Streamer in the UK Civil Service, based in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). She is currently on secondment to the Secretariat General of the European Commission in Brussels, where she works on the European Semester of economic policy coordination and the EU’s growth strategy.
In BIS she worked on the negotiations of the next EU Framework Programme for research and innovation, Horizon 2020. When she returns from Brussels she will take up a post as Private Secretary to the Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts.
Prior to joining the UK Civil Service Catherine worked as a Publishing Editor at Oxford University Press. She graduated with a B.A. (Hons) in English and German from Exeter College, Oxford University in 2008.
Sponsor Catherine here.
Philippa Underwood (2004, Biochemistry)
A relative spring chicken within Team Kilimanjaro, Pippa has spent her 5 years since graduation in the City. Starting her career in the Investment Banking division of Merrill Lynch, she now works as a Corporate Broker for Canadian firm, Canaccord Genuity. Whilst at Exeter, Pippa represented the Oxford University Dancesport Team in 4 Varsity matches – one as Captain of the winning team – gaining her 3 Full Blues. Pippa is keen to stretch her legs, and eagerly awaits the challenge of Kilimanjaro!
Sponsor Philippa here.
Emily Watson (2002, Literae Humaniores)
Emily read Classics at Exeter College between 2002 and 2006, and then worked in Paris as a recruitment consultant for three years before coming back to her beloved alma mater as a fundraiser. She now manages the College’s Annual Fund, which involves running student telephone campaigns, coordinating Exeter’s volunteer network, meeting Exonians across the country and attending multiple events.
In her spare time, Emily loves cycling, kayaking and hiking in all kinds of remote places (which is why she decided to integrate her passion for the outdoors into her day job and organised this Kilimanjaro trek!)
Sponsor Emily here.
Rhodri Williams (1981, Modern Languages)
Rhodri left Oxford a linguist (French and Italian) in 1985 and, ignoring the advice he had been given, went to London and requalified as a barrister, and was called to the Bar in Gray’s Inn in 1987. Since then he has practised at the civil bar in both London and Cardiff, as well as enjoying a five-year stint working with the European Commission in Brussels between 1992 – 1997, the only way he could successfully mix law and languages! He now lives in Cardiff with his wife Rachel and their three children, Hannah, Rebeccah and Matthew.
Sponsor Rhodri here.
Patrick Gartland (2011, Jurisprudence)
A current student at Exeter, I came over from Northern Ireland to study jurisprudence with the hopes of perhaps going on to be a family or criminal barrister, first in England and eventually at home, too.
For years I put off climbing Slieve Donard, the rather unimpressive highest peak of the Mourne Mountains (850m), which I had seen, standing proud, countless times from a distance. I told myself “someday I will stand up there”. After starting a ‘list of things to do before I die’ a little over two and a half years ago, which has become a very large part of my life, I finally did so – and ever since that amazing experience I have been completely hooked on hiking. Climbing Kilimanjaro is also on the list, and one of the things which I am most looking forward to crossing off. That mountain too I have seen, in photographs and books, and wished to stand on the roof of Africa, look out from it and say later “I’ve been there, I’ve looked out from there – and it was unbelievable”. The sight of the sun rising from the summit after seven long days of hiking is one which at this stage I can only imagine and really cannot wait to see.
Sponsor Patrick here.
Elsa Lignos (2005, Economics)
I did my MPhil in Economics at Oxford, then moved to Barcelona, now work in London and am about to relocate to New York. So September is going to be a busy month, with a transatlantic move, flat-hunting, work trips and of course climbing Kilimanjaro. I feel very lucky to have studied at Exeter and strongly believe that experience should be open to everyone, so this is a great opportunity to raise money for Exeter’s 700th Anniversary Campaign.
Sponsor Elsa here.
Bill Kennedy
Bill is a Portfolio Manager at Fidelity Investments and has been there since 1994. He currently manages a global stock portfolio and works in London, having also worked in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Boston. Prior to Fidelity, Bill was an Investment Analyst at Prudential Asset Management in the US, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Bill enjoys working with charities and running, especially running marathons. As such, a large amount of his charitable work is done raising money by running for a variety of UK charities including the Great Ormond Street Hospital, Mind, the British Forces Foundation, and the Shaw Trust.
Bill is a member of the University of Notre Dame College of Arts and Letters Advisory Council, a group that advises the College Dean on strategic direction, fund raising and academic programs. He is also a Director of Tatham Place Management (local property management company) and manages the Kennedy Family Charitable Trust, a trust that works with several charities in the United Kingdom and United States.
He is married with four children.
Sponsor Bill here.
