Jon's father had started working at the local hot air balloon factory, leading a project that would ultimately achieve a world record for the first hot air balloon to cross the Atlantic ocean. His work had Jon's family moving back to the US four years later, and Jon left the school just prior to the end of the school year in 5th Form at the senior school.

Having moved from Arizona and only experienced the US public school system, the town and school were quite different for Jon but any culture shock was quickly abated as he came to learn that the experiences of students and educators are more universal than they might at first seem. In his four short years at the school, Jon made many memorable friendships and has come to view his time in Oswestry as among the most formative of his life.

Jon met so many friends who influenced him and created memories he will always cherish; Ed Hobson, Rob and Anthony Jenkins, Simon Nash, Christian Rushton, Lee Maguire, Jason Taylor, Jenny Moffat, Duncan Cairns, Stuart Dyer, Katie Storey, Jo Boffey, Arika Wigglesworth, Emma and Nick Woodward, and too many others to name. Educators who loom larger than life in Jon's  memory from the junior school up through the senior school; Mr Potter, Murray Smyth (Jon will never forget Murray dealing with him after he pulled a face on the school picture!), Mr Gibson, Mr Chapman, Mrs Betty, Mr Symons (Jon is forever grateful for the candid life advice he imparted on him during the school trip to Rome and the Italian coast), Mr McCrea, Mr Watson (he inspired a love of mathematics in Jon but boy, did they give him a hard time!)

Above all, Jon is grateful for the value placed on being a well-rounded student and citizen that his time at Oswestry School imparted on him. He was never particularly strong in any one subject or sport - he loved his STEM courses, but also enjoyed playing small parts in school productions (Jon remembers a small comedy-relief role he played in The Government Inspector), crashing his way through his favourite AC/DC songs on drums in that tiny little "drum hut" by the dining hall with Ed Hobson and the Jenkins brothers on guitar and vocals, and wrestling with a love of the visual arts but no talent, having the incomparable Rob Jenkins sketching just as competently as any professional artist next to Jon at the table.

In the 30+ years since leaving Oswestry, Jon's life took many turns before he found his path, as happens with many of us. He was in the US Marine Corps for a time before earning a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a master's degree in Business Administration. Ultimately Jon was able to reconcile his seemingly contradictory love of science and the arts that was first kindled at Oswestry School and is now enjoying a fulfilling career as a Sr Technology Manager with The Walt Disney Company.

Jon was so happy to return to the UK after all these years and show his wife and daughters parts of the country that hold a warm spot in his heart, but beyond the world-famous landmarks and beautiful scenery Jon was most excited to show them the School and town of Oswestry that contributed so much to making him who he is today.

The photos below include a drum skin Jon's classmates signed and gave him when he left school just before the end of 5th Form.