Tim Mortimer

I attended St. Johns from 2005-2010. Whilst there I took great interest in the sciences, particularly mathematics and engineering. At GCSE I achieved 13 A*s and 2 As and then went on to study at King Edward VI Grammar School (KEGS), Chelmsford.

At KEGS I studied Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, Economics and General Studies to A2, achieving 2A*s and 3As, and Additional Further Mathematics to AS in which I obtained an A. It was whilst I was at KEGS that I confirmed my desire to study mathematics beyond sixth form. After taking the Sixth Term Entrance Papers (STEP), I was accepted into the University of Warwick.

Mathematics is an often underappreciated subject. “When will I ever use algebra in life?”, “Why would I ever need to solve a quadratic?” and “What’s the point of trigonometry?” have probably gone through most of our minds at some point during our school careers. Whilst for many there’s a lot of truth in these thoughts, I have certainly had a different experience.

Indeed, what do Facebook, computer graphics and Siri all have in common? Algebra. Society is run on algebra. Every second, computers all over the world are solving large systems of millions of algebraic equations. Whether they are instructing Facebook which friend to suggest that you add next, trading shares on the stock market or even helping international organisations shut down human trafficking networks, algebra is always depicting what the world is going to do next.

Does this mean we should all do mathematics degrees? Well, no. Does it even mean that we should all go to university? Again, no. There are countless areas of fascinating academia, but thankfully the world isn’t full of academics! I took something far greater than knowledge away from St. Johns - I grew my ability to learn. Of course, I have forgotten most of what I was taught at St. Johns. Does that make a waste of time? Certainly not. Quite simply, if I didn’t expand my brain in the way I did at St. Johns, I definitely wouldn’t know what I know now.

Further to my academic endeavors, I’ve always had a keen interest in the education sector. Teaching others has always been part of my own learning. Only by teaching others does one truly learn a subject thoroughly. My experience has been varied - I have taught privately, at university and even at Epping St. Johns! In addition, over the Summer of 2014, I taught at a township school, Progress Comprehensive, in Soweto just outside Johannesburg, South Africa.

As for my future, I really don’t know where I am heading. I could be a teacher, an academic, a software developer or something entirely different! I plan to live in the moment, work hard, and do what I believe is right at each step. Epping St. Johns is providing you all with an education that provided me with more opportunities than I could have ever asked for; all I ask of you is that you embrace those opportunities and make the most of them.