Prefects' Dinner with guest speaker Alessandro Demaio
Wesley College had the pleasure of hearing from one of our most inspirational OW’s at the College’s Prefects Dinner. Dr Alessandro Demaio (OW2003) (known as ‘Sandro’) who in a very short period of time has become a world leader in global health and is currently working with the UN WHO. He spoke passionately about Wesley, and how the lessons he learnt at Wesley since Year 5 have helped him achieve what he has. His time at Wesley was full of achievements in the realms of the environment and social justice.
He is also fondly remembered by Di Barclay as one of her star pupils, recalling that “Sandro was a most enthusiastic and engaged student in Higher Level Biology class. He brought a spark to the class and offered much towards discussion and showed great initiative. He was always a happy student with a great sense of humour”.
Our Prefects have been greatly inspired by Sandro, and below is a response from one of our captains as to the impact he had on the group:
"This was a man who genuinely cared for the health and wellbeing of others, and when I asked him what lead him into such an area of medicine, he responded with the analogy of the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff – that prevention is better than a cure – emphasising his passion for such a profession. When asked by Tom Moncrieff (Senior House Prefect) about how he managed to balance his abundance of different commitments, Sandro replied honestly, that he did not have a balance. That throughout his life he has prioritised work over other components, regularly working seven day weeks; but Sandro did not reflect regretfully. He told an anecdote of his work with a dying patient, who provided him with one piece of advice: that you only look back and regret omission, not commission. This was certainly inspiring, particularly in a room full of prefects with not only a huge year ahead of them, but a huge life ahead of them. I have no doubt that each person in that room was further motivated to keep working hard and making the most of every opportunity. It was truly an honour to see the calibre of a successful past Wesley student, and I know that his discussions left everyone refreshed and motivated for the year ahead."
