Alumni Spotlight

Sumanthraj Burli

It has been almost 6 years since since Raj graduated.  Here is what he has been up to in that time.

What have you been doing since you left JMSS?

I graduated with a dual Bachelor degree in Aviation (Piloting) and International Business in 2018. Since then, I have been interning and flying in different countries and really trying to explore what the global workforce has to offer. I have also been elected as a Board Director for UN Youth Australia and spend a fair bit of my time helping to run that organization. 

During your time as a student at JMSS, what did you like most?

I think I really appreciated the elective subjects in year ten. Hands down Quarks to Quasars and Our Dynamic Earth were both my favourite subjects. From learning about particle physics to volcanology, those two subjects were probably the highlights of my academic time at JMSS. 

Was there anyone who inspired you?

Mr. Daniel Webber - one of the best teachers I've ever had. He, like most of the teachers at JMSS, pushed me to always do better and a huge part of who I am today, I can trace back to him. 

What's your favourite memory of JMSS?

Spending a night at John Monash before leaving for World Challenge and building the "Ottoman Empire" with the foyer ottomans.   

What advice would you give to the current JMSS Students?

Thinking back, John Monash gave me a lot of opportunities both socially and professionally that I sometimes didn't fully utilise. As a JMSS student, you have access to a remarkable student body that is quite passionate and very capable. You combine that with a teaching staff that is incredibly supportive, and you can really do some epic things. Start a startup, build an app or create an organisation, whatever it might be, there is a heap of potential within JMSS and you should definitely capitalise on it.

What do you do in your spare time?

I have recently been diagnosed with a travel bug and so I spend a lot of my time either travelling or working so that I can travel. 

What's next for you?

A Master of Science with a research focus on sustainable engineering in aerospace technologies.