PhD Divinity 1998 BD Theology & Religious Studies 1987 MA English 1971 From Aberdeen to International Teaching
Your Time at Aberdeen
Why did you choose to study at Aberdeen? It’s my local university.
Why did you choose your particular course? I stumbled on a new and interesting field of study.
What did you most enjoy about your time at Aberdeen? Did you have any particularly memorable student experiences? Yes, I won the Stuart Prize in Hebrew in 1987 and did a study tour in Israel.
If you were involved in any clubs and societies as a student, what did you enjoy most about them and what benefit do you think they have for students? I was part of the Student Show in 1968 which was a fabulous opportunity to be led by the Scotland the What? team.
If while at Aberdeen you benefited from a scholarship, what was the scholarship and what difference did it make to your time at Aberdeen? I received Divinity scholarships in both 1984 and 1996 which enabled me to support my family during my studies.
Did you hold any student leadership roles, eg Class Rep, Club Treasurer, Social Convenor? I was a Student Representative on the Divinity Committee reviewing the proposed Standard Grade Biblical Studies in 1997.
If talking to a group of prospective students, what advice would you give them to help them make the most of their time at the University of Aberdeen? Learn the history of King's College Chapel and St Machar's Cathedral because both give stunning and central insights into the history of our beloved Scotland.
Did you undertake any co-curricular activities while at Aberdeen, e.g. Aberdeen Internships, Career Mentoring, STAR Award? As a doctoral student, I tutored undergraduates in Old Testament.
Your Time After Aberdeen
What was your first job after graduating from Aberdeen? I was a secondary school English teacher with Dunbartonshire Education Authority.
What is your current job? I’m retired but God is my current employer. I’m doing everything I once did, but unpaid in Aberdeen.
Please briefly describe the journey from your first job after graduating to where you are now. After graduating from Aberdeen in 1971, I did a Teaching Certificate at Jordanhill in Glasgow and graduated in 1972. I taught English in Cumbernauld, Banff, Buckie and Aberdeen. Entering the Ministry of the Church of Scotland in 1984, I became a Parish Minister in the Western Isles, then a missionary in Peru and, very briefly, in Sri Lanka. I returned to Parish Ministry in Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen and the Borders.
Was your degree at Aberdeen essential for getting to where you are now? If so, in what way? I owe my entire education to Aberdeen. After a stultifying and restrictive school life, I had what can only be described as an intellectual birth in Old King’s Library and each stage of education in Aberdeen ever since has been appropriately uplifting.
One Top Tip
Please share your one top tip that you think is most important for our current students or recent graduates that will help them when starting out on their career paths. Try to go beyond what you are taught by wider reading to see the bigger picture.
