From carpentry and engineering to law and international study, IGS alums continue to make their mark in diverse fields. Maddie Goodsir (Class of 2014) took her legal expertise to Oxford, Himavaan Chandra (Class of 2016) followed his passion for robotics into the aviation industry, and Rory Kerr (Class of 2022) pursued a hands-on career in building. Their stories highlight the varied pathways IGS graduates take, showcasing resilience, ambition, and a commitment to lifelong learning.
Maddie Goodsir 2014
After graduating from IGS in 2014, I studied a law degree, spent a year working for a judge at the Supreme Court of NSW, and then began working at a law firm in Sydney. After a couple of years in practice, I decided to take a chance on further study. I started a master’s in law at the University of Oxford in September 2023 (formally known as the Bachelor of Civil Law).
I’ve had an amazing experience studying overseas and have been lucky to make some incredible friends. I’ve had the opportunity to study the law of war, human rights and international environmental law from leading academics. Many of my professors would lecture us on Monday and be presenting to the International Court of Justice or the UN on Friday, which was amazing.
College life at Oxford is also pretty incredible. I was fortunate enough to attend Christ Church College, which meant that I got to have dinner in the Great Hall (on which the Hogwarts Great Hall is based). Oxford is home to lots of traditions, including wearing different coloured carnations to show what exam you’re sitting, sitting exams in full academic gowns (slightly uncomfortable during the summer), grand Christmas dinners and May balls.
I finished up at Oxford in July 2024 and have been making the most of the European summer before starting work in London (including watching the Matildas at the Olympics and going swimming in the Mediterranean).
Himavaan Chandra 2016
After finishing school in 2016, I went to study Mechatronic Engineering. I enjoyed completing this degree as it let me explore my passion for robotics. During my degree, I completed a few internships, which gave me a good idea of what it’s like working in some areas of the engineering industry and where I wanted to end up. I finished my degree at the end of 2021, and I applied to work for Boeing because of my interest in aviation. At the beginning of 2022, I moved to Brisbane to work for them. I am currently still here where I have been able to explore multiple interesting roles, including being an electrical design engineer, software engineer and flight test engineer. Apart from work, I am still building and flying drones and have lots of ideas for projects to complete.
Rory Kerr 2022
I left IGS in Year 12 in 2022. I had started there in Year 7 and spent a LOT of time in Detentions with Mr Galea. School was not really my strength, and I ended up starting and completing a carpentry course. I played in both the Swans and Roosters Development teams but gave it up as I could not keep getting injured while I was doing my apprenticeship. I am now doing a course in building and hope to buy houses, do them up and then sell them.
