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Only top-level descriptions Egenrieder, Julie Matric 2005
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Interview with Andrew Kirkland 2005

  • ZA ZAR STDS 202000701
  • Item
  • 2014

Interview with Andrew Kirkland – 2005
Andrew came to St David’s from Bryandale Primary in 2000, he was accompanied by three other boys
including Sean Howell; Curtis Montgomery. He had to jockey for position amongst the majority of boys who
had graduated from the prep school and who already knew each other, however he made friends quite
quickly.
The Glenmore camp was a big introduction for him, helping him to settle down into the school and Osmond
house.
He found it to be very different from a co-ed school, with a lot more direction and team building and with
hindsight the camp was pretty good.
The main reason he wanted to attend St David’s was because of the sport and his keen interest in cricket,
having played provincial cricket at primary school level. St David’s had a more personal side to its sporting
activities. Andrew played A team cricket all the way through high school. He was always the smallest boy in
the team and at the age of 15 and 16 he struggled. In another school Andrew believes he wouldn’t have
had the same opportunities. After grade 9, Andrew went through a slump in his cricket then picked up again
and did well. He was the top run scorer in the 2004 Beckwith week and subsequently got selected for the
U17A Gauteng team. He followed that up with the second leading run scorer in the 2-05 Beckwith week
and selected for the Gauteng U19B.
Highlights were the Australian Tour in 2003, when he was in grade 10 playing in the Marist Schools festival
in Bunbury in Perth, winning every game and beating St Josephs, the top Marist cricket school in Australia.
In the final game they played against St Gregory’s and lost by 1 run. The boys on the tour became very
close and still keep in touch. The highlight was winning the Beckwith week as leading run scorer and
achieving his specific honours for cricket in grade 11.
Andrew played B team rugby in grade 8, but it wasn’t the sport for him and in grade 9 he made the change
to hockey and played 1st team from grade 10. Through hockey he became friends with Kelsey Stewart and
Bryce Wray and attended provincial training camps in 2004. Alex Gitlin was very involved with the hockey
and was a good but very tough coach culminating in a successful Malaysian hockey tour and peaking at the
independent schools tournament at St Andrews in Grahamstown for their centenary anniversary where St
David’s won all their games. Andrew remains friends with Alex today.
Andrew was awarded an honours blazer, full colours for cricket and hockey, winning cricketer of the year in
2004 and 2005 and was sportsman of the year in 2005.
Andrew recalls his matric dance as being a bit of a disaster, he didn’t get the date he wanted and he was in
charge of the limo’s for the evening. They got there alright but the limo didn’t come to fetch them until the
early hours of the morning so they missed the after party.
Academically Andrew did alright but sport took first place and only when he reached varsity did he realise
what studying was all about.
The teachers he remembers most are Mr R Smith, housemaster and English –also taught the boys life
lessons; Mrs D. King another excellent English teacher; Mr D. Smith – Geography; Simon Holderness -
Maths, he organised the Malaysian hockey tour in 2004 and Mr Gitlin – hockey. Paul Edey was the most
well respected headmaster and an incredible guy, when he spoke the boys listened.
After matriculating, Andrew acquired enough points to be accepted to study for a BSc Construction and
BSc Hons at Wits University. Andrew also played cricket at Wits and originally wanted to play cricket for
Hampshire, England but there were many delays and he ended up studying at Wits for 5 years which
turned out to be better for him in the long run. During his first year there he felt he had a definite advantage
coming from St David’s as much of the work in the first year was covered, especially Maths that he had
done before. He did well in his thesis coming first. It was the first academic prize he had ever won and his
father teased him about it. It was quite hard going through university as he was also working for his father.
Andrew was involved with the organisation of old boys versus Ist team cricket eleven in August this year
with the old boys the victors. He also participated in the One Touch soccer events for the past two years.
Andrew currently works in the family business Spiral Engineering, specialising in structural steel
architectural steel and spiral staircases, winning the steel award for the Malapa Beetle Project in the Cradle
of Humankind in 2014 in conjunction with Wits University. Andrew is project manager having graduated
from small accounts to larger ones. He was involved with numerous steel projects such as Soccer City,
Wits building rejuvenation, Standard Bank, Rosebank but unfortunately, with the labour problems
experienced of late the company has been forced to limit their projects. The company is involved with
community projects such as the Cosmo City Creche, the Malapa Beetle Project in the Cradle of
Humankind.
Andrew is a Member of MOBS and any son of his would definitely come to St David’s.
JE October 2014

Egenrieder, Julie

Interview with Bryce Wray 2005

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  • 2014

Interview with Bryce Wray – 2005
Bryce came to St David’s in grade 8. Bryce was formerly a pupil at King Edwards School being the third
generation of his family who attended KES and the school pavilion is named after Bryce’s uncle. Bryce
elected to attend St David’s for high school as he had already befriended Justin Rodrigues and Sibelo
Sithebe at junior city council. Also Paul Edey was the headmaster who had taught Bryce’s uncle and other
family members at KES and was highly regarded.
On his first day Bryce was fortunate, already knowing many of the St David’s boys from playing primary
school sport and James Morrison also accompanied him from KES. In spite of this Bryce was nervous and
concerned about the change from a government to a private school. His first camp was at Glenmore and he
recalls Mr Rod Smith making the boys stand outside in the rain.
Bryce was a member of The Bishop’s with Simon Fry as his housemaster. Bryce regarded him as a great
housemaster and History teacher who developed his passion for the subject. He recalls that Mrs Van der
Merwe was particularly good as his English teacher in matric and Mrs Kennedy for Maths. He also held
Alex Gitlin in high esteem through his contact with him playing hockey and still keeps in touch with him.
Bryce also coached 1st team hockey after leaving school.
Bryce always wanted to play hockey and initially Mr MacMillan was more pro rugby than hockey but this did
not stop Bryce playing hockey in grade 8 without having to play rugby. Bryce put a lot of time into his
hockey more so than academics. At that time pupils did not need to get such high matric marks to study law
at university although that is no longer the case. He played provincial hockey U18 until 2010 and was in the
Gauteng U21 side from 2006 to 2008 and was in the men’s Gauteng hockey team from 2009 until 2010.
Unfortunately currently pressure of work does not allow him to be as involved.
Bryce was fortunate to go on the hockey tour to Malaysia which was a great experience travelling with other
boys and experiencing a different culture. Bryce still plays hockey for Old Eds in the premier league with
Mark de Jager.
Bryce also participated in the school plays and public speaking and in inter-house debating in grade 8 and
9 and in grade 10 and 11 was involved with the SMILE programme.
Bryce decided from grade 8 that he wanted to become a lawyer. He believed the judiciary to be
independent and wanted to be part of such a legal system which is formulated on Roman Dutch law and
now influenced by the constitution. It intrigued him the fact that law ultimately influences everything.
Bryce received honours for hockey, was vice-captain of 1st team hockey and was a house prefect.
After he matriculated , Bryce attended..................................................University for a degree.
Bryce worked for his articles in 2010 until the end of 2011 with Hogan Lovells and then was retained as an
associate. He resigned in 2012 to pursue an opportunity to work in the commercial field. However he
decided that it wasn’t for him and Hogan Lovells gladly took him back. He now specialises in commercial
litigation for the construction industry and administrative law.
For Bryce the camaraderie with his grade was great and the loyalty they had for each other. He still meets
up with 8 friends from his year once a month and they are all very proud to be St David’s boys.
JLE September 2014

Egenrieder, Julie

Interview with Daniel Shepherd 2005

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  • 2012

Interview with Daniel Shepherd – 2005
Daniel came to St David’s from Craighall primary and admits to finding it quite scary at first,
seeing all the new faces and finding himself in a much larger better equipped school
environment. He came together with Kelsey Stewart and Ryan King so wasn’t entirely alone. He
really enjoyed the Glenmore orientation camp in grade 8 led by Rod Smith and made new
friends.
Daniel recalled that his class of 22 pupils was quite extraordinary and they gained 88 out of 112
distinctions in their matric year.
He enjoyed sport and played hockey for which he received half colours, played tennis and did
some recreational swimming. Daniel believes that his life was much richer for the experience of
meeting different people, through the sport which was compulsory he was forced to mix with
people he otherwise would never have known giving him a different perspective of life.
Daniel enjoyed assisting with the Science programme tutoring pupils from Alex high school and
also participated in the Smile programme.
He just missed being awarded an honours blazer for academics but was awarded half colours
for hockey and service.
The teachers he remembers are Reyno Reichert who really motivated all the boys to do well in
Maths and in fact many of them eventually took 3 Maths subjects. Deanne King also helped him
to do well in matric.
He achieved 5 distinctions in matric, writing 8 subjects and then went on to Wits Medical School.
He is currently doing a two year internship at Baragwanath Hospital. It’s hard work and very
long hours but he is gaining experience in many disciplines which is invaluable. There are other
St David’s boys with him such as Jonty Kourie, Matthew Barendse and Warren Meir. Kelsey
Stewart (deputy head boy for 2005) is doing his internship in Pietermaritzburg.
Daniel’s brother Michael is currently in grade 10 at St David’s. Daniel believes that if he has a
son he would send him to St David’s or another Marist school.
JE August 2012

Egenrieder, Julie