Today we were delighted to welcome past pupil Ray Hanratty back to St Paul’s, a visit Ray described himself as a real trip down memory lane. He couldn’t quite believe that it has been 27 years since he last set foot in St Paul’s in 1999.

 

Ray, now the owner of Centrifugal Electrical LLC in New York, was honoured to be inducted into the St Paul’s Wall of Fame.

 

He was especially grateful to our Vice Principal, Christine Fearon, for hand‑delivering a copy of his final school statement of results, a moment that made Ray laugh out loud and which he later referenced when speaking to our Business and Construction pupils. Ray joked that had he applied himself more at St Paul’s, he would probably be five years further on than where he is now, which was a powerful and honest message for our pupils.

 

During our recent Business Studies trip to New York, Ray was incredibly generous with his time and hospitality welcoming our pupils into his business, giving them a full tour of his offices, and kindly providing food and refreshments at a nearby restaurant. He then spoke openly with pupils, answering a wide range of questions and sharing advice that proved so inspiring that it made pupils reflect on the endless opportunities open to them when they apply themselves. It was this experience that led us to invite Ray to St Paul’s, as we were keen for all of our Business Studies and Construction pupils to benefit from hearing his story firsthand.

As a school, we were delighted to be able to give something back to Ray, who has shown such generosity and support to our pupils.

Ray was hugely impressed by the facilities within our Construction Department and the breadth of topics covered, commenting on the impressive skillset our pupils are developing and how well they are being prepared for future careers.

In speaking with pupils, Ray encouraged them to take risks, be resilient, keep going, and most importantly, to surround themselves with positive people. He also shared that he is always looking to recruit well‑educated and highly motivated staff, and offered pupils the opportunity to work with him should they ever consider travelling and working in New York. Ray explained that this, for him, would be a meaningful way to give something back to the school that helped shape his future.

Ray was proudly supported on the day by his mum Kathleen and dad Paul, who were clearly delighted to see their son recognised for all that he has achieved.

A wonderful day celebrating success, inspiration and giving back.