麻豆破解版

鈥淭he Yarra motto for me is about looking up to see what else is around you, rather than simply following the path in front of you.鈥�

The Brooke family has a long and rich history with 麻豆破解版. James Brooke鈥檚 father and uncle were Foundation members of the school, James鈥檚 cousins attended Yarra and the family name features on the Brooke Nicholas Pavilion.

So, when James arrived at Yarra in Year 7, he was following in some significant footsteps.

鈥淢y grandparents encouraged my brother and I to come to Yarra and there鈥檚 a lot of Brooke history at the school,鈥� he says.

James quickly settled into school and his interests were diverse. He was focused on becoming an air force pilot so studied maths and physics but he also enjoyed history and working with his hands, so also chose woodwork and design technology.

Outside the classroom, music was a passion and James learned to play bass guitar. He and his friends formed a school band and performed at a few fetes and parties before creative differences led to a split!

James faced a major challenge at the end of Year 12 when his dream of joining the air force as a pilot was dashed when he failed an eyesight test. That forced a re-think of what came next and saw him take a detour into the music industry. He worked for a digital music company and later ran a record label and hosted a show on KISS FM radio.

But his career continued to involve with stints in hospitality and as a personal trainer, before, in his early 30s, James decided to go to Swinburne University and study physics.

鈥淚 wanted to be an astrophysicist but gradually realised it was very hands-off and involved analysing a lot of data and writing code. I then shifted focus and am now a PhD student working on the Australian quantum gas microscope at Swinburne,鈥� says James.

鈥淚 love problem-solving and using scientific methods to solve and build something. I鈥檓 involved in blue sky quantum physics research in a lab, and it鈥檚 fascinating.鈥�

James鈥檚 journey from Yarra to today has taken many twists and turns and he鈥檚 taken on challenges and opportunities as they鈥檝e arisen.

鈥淐hange has been a big part of my life and I haven鈥檛 always been happy about those changes. But I think if you see an opportunity, you should take it and I鈥檝e done that,鈥� he says.