What goes around…
Scott Girvin, Artsci’00, arrived at Herstmonceux Castle in January 1999 as an Upper Year History student. When he departed after a term unlike any other at Queen’s, he did not know that he would be returning 24 years later to join the board of Bader College.
We caught up with Scott ahead of our special anniversary dinner with Sir Ranulph Fiennes, marking 30 years since Drs Alfred and Isabel Bader made their generous gift to Queen’s.
How was your first board meeting Scott?
Fascinating. There are actually two boards and I sit as both a trustee of Bader College and a director of its commercial subsidiary, Herstmonceux Castle Estate Limited. Each has different reports, issues and action items to consider but it is clear that the volunteers who make up those boards bring a wealth of experience from academia, business and the community, as well as a shared commitment to securing the Castle’s future. Needless to say, I mostly listened this time but am looking forward to working with my new colleagues to guide and support a talented Castle management team as it puts the Bader College Strategic Plan into action.
How did you come to be involved with Bader College again?
Like most things in life, it was more by accident than design. After graduating from Queen’s, I worked on Bay Street in Toronto in both the private and public sectors before moving to London in 2004 to study law at UCL. It took a decade for my Queen’s nostalgia to finally drag me to a local alumni pub night, where I met the incoming branch president and – after stupidly letting slip my strong belief in workplace mentoring – found myself on the executive committee with responsibility for Castle and career outreach. Since 2015, our branch has delivered multiple career panels and networking events with alumni for Castle students and worked to identify ways in which the wider Queen’s community in the UK can support the goals and objectives of Bader College.
What does the future look like for Bader College?
In a word, transformative. Bader College has an ambitious five-year Strategic Plan that aims to deliver (among other things) continued educational excellence, a sustainable, historic and commercially viable 600-acre estate and enhanced local and global engagement. We are lucky to have a committed Principal in Patrick Deane, who is a champion not only of the Castle’s future potential but also its important role within the broader Queen’s Global Engagement Strategy. And we have an impressive management team coming together under (seemingly tireless!) Executive Director Janine Griffiths-Baker, which has delivered already on many important objectives in only six short months. All in all, it is an exciting time to play a small part in this inflection point for both Bader College and Queen’s.
How can alumni support Bader College?
You mean, other than by parting with their hard-earned cash? The UK branch is always interested to hear from those who would like to help, whether by sharing career insights with current Castle students or recent alumni, suggesting ideas or partnerships with Bader College faculty for experiential learning or supporting our regular branch events. And we are always happy to answer questions or find the right person to connect with. Any interested alumni are welcome to get in touch with me through LinkedIn or the UK alumni branch email (uk_branch@tricolour.queensu.ca).