As a five-year-old, Harrison Craig-Ward would watch “The New Inventors” on ABC and think that one day he too would like to be an “inventor”. Little did he know that his time from Prep to Year 12 at St Andrews Lutheran College would lead him on an incredible journey filled with challenges and accomplishments that would help him fulfill his dream.
Harrison graduated from St Andrews in 2018 and went on to study a Masters of Engineering at The University of Queensland. During his five years at university, Harrison also worked part time in retail and took several internships. Notably in the summer of 2021/2022, Harrison 
travelled north to Cairns to work FIFO in an internship at a mine site on Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria which he described as an “awesome” experience. In 2023 Harrison graduated with Class 1 Honours from The University of Queensland as one of only two students specialising in Mechanical and Materials Engineering.
During his time at St Andrews Harrison was an active participate across multiple areas of College life. Harrison was a consistent member of the school futsal team, participated in and toured with school bands and was the recipient of numerous academic, citizenship and leadership awards. Harrison was also the Senior School College Captain in 2018. Harrison reflects; “Having an active participation in these various activities helped me so much with general life skills. Being able to balance these activities with schoolwork and personal life gave me a strong knack for how to manage my time effectively and how to spend time studying effectively.”
Specifically, Harrison fondly recalls his participation in the Kokoda Challenge in grades 10 -12: “One of my fondest memories would have to be partaking in the 96km Kokoda Challenge in Year 12 (2018) with Mr McGilveray. Ever since I found out about the Kokoda Challenge from hearing McGilveray’s stories when I was in his class in year 7, I knew that one day I not only wanted to take on the challenge, but I wanted to be in his team. Mr McGilveray has a rich history in the challenge and it was one of the best experiences to be given the opportunity to take on the challenge with some really good mates and create some history by setting a new record for being the fastest school team in the 96km event (not sure if this record still stands to this day but it would be awesome if it did!)”
In 2022, Harrison returned and participated in the Kokoda Challenge as part of the Alumni team – an opportunity he was grateful for “as it allows me to give back a little to something I got so much out of when I was a student”.
Having completed his degree in 2023 and after taking some time to travel, Harrison is now enjoying working full time as a Graduate Design Engineer at Rheinmetall Defence Australia where he is currently working on the Land 400-2 project to deliver armoured vehicles for the Australian Army. Harrison aspires to travel and work abroad, applying his skills in an international context; “One of the great things about an engineering degree is the diverse opportunities it awards, which hopefully will allow me to pursue some opportunities at a global scale”.
Harrison has some words of advice for the current students of St Andrews;
“School, like university is a big journey and it can seem like a bit of a chore at times when assessment or subjects are tough, but I think learning how to control the nerves that comes with due dates and daunting tasks can help alleviate some of the stress we feel in these trying times, and this can help us enjoy the journey and make the most of this chapter of our lives”.
And what would Harrison say to his five-year-old self who wanted to be an inventor? “Fast forward to now and as an engineer I guess I’ve made it somewhat close to that which I think is pretty cool. Engineers are typically responsible for inventing solutions to solve various problems, so who knows maybe in the future depending on where my career takes me, I’ll be able to call myself an ‘inventor’”.
We think younger Harrison would be very proud of all he has accomplished over the last 18 years, and we at St Andrews are proud of him too.
Do you have an alumni story to share with our community? We would love to hear from you! Send your stories and photos to alumni@salc.qld.edu.au