A history of Excellence: My Experience at the Stonyhurst College, Lancashire

I was recently invited to give a talk to the students at the historic Stonyhurst College in Lancashire, U.K., and I must say, it was one of my most profound experiences on the lecture circuit. 

Stonyhurst College is a Catholic institution steeped in excellence and deep tradition. The History of Stonyhurst College as a school dates back to 1593 when its antecedent, the Jesuit College at St Omer, was founded in Flanders to educate English Catholics.

The imposing 300 acres estate with a lake, a river, imposing lawns and woods was first owned by the weld family who offered it as a temporary refuge to the Jesuits until such time as it was safe to return to the continent after being pursued from France by the King in 1762.

My ride to the school, while not the first time, was as much a thrilling journey as when I went to drop off our son Omimi Okere to begin his sixth form. The long driveway over a road parting a lake, with a huge expanse of well-manicured green lawns, and the imposing building long in view before you reach it, is a sight to behold.

In this year of Omimi’s graduation, I was invited to give a talk to the Poetry students; being those in the final year, on technology and business. I chose to speak on the fourth industrial revolution, the shared economy and opportunities for millennials.

I must say that the audience was much more than I had anticipated, as some students came from nearby colleges and some faculty also sat in. There was a ceremony about “signing the register” before I began the talk. I later learned that this was a significant part of the tradition. 

The honour of a distinguished guest signing “the register” was rarely bestowed. In fact, there have been only four registers opened since the school started. This particular one was opened in 1939 and had HRM Elizabeth Queen of England and Princess Anne as signatories. 

The register was delivered by a distinguished middle-aged gentleman, appropriately bedecked in a three-piece suit, who took the tradition very seriously. He explained what I now know about the register. He gladly opened to the first page where the first signing was 1939 and also showed me where the royals had penned their signatures. I felt honoured to be invited to sign on a whole page of the register, detailing my name the date and the topic I spoke about for posterity. 

I was also told that the room of the lecture held a deep significance for the school, and had the original wallpaper from when it was built, as part of the history and tradition and to preserve the look of the time. 

Mrs Laura Rushworth, the Head of the Computer Science Department, who had invited me for the talk had a very humble mien, given her intimidating credentials. She started writing computer programs from the early age of two, while her father, a distinguished engineer, was part of the team that designed the signalling system of the London Underground and the Eurostar train system. 

Thankfully, the talk went very well. I know this because the students did ask for a copy of the presentation; which is quite rare. They clustered around and continued to ask engaging questions long after the end of the talk. I was told that they were still discussing it the next day.

The highlight of the talk and my visit were prominently featured on the school’s website and newsletter. I was quite pleased that in my little way, I was able to make Africa and Nigeria proud at such a great institution.

I rode in the taxi back to my hotel in penchant nostalgia, reminiscing my own time in Boarding School at St. Augustine’s College in Cape Coast, Ghana, where I had 36 years ago completed my A’ Levels study.

Life is indeed a cycle. One day Omimi will go and drop his child at school and remember when his Dad came to give a talk at his school. 

Austin Okere is the Founder of CWG Plc, and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Columbia Business School, NY. He is also the Founder of the Ausso Leadership Academy in Lagos