Meet Megan
Megan Rowlands left Headington in 2009. At A level Megan studied Politics, English Literature, Theatre Studies and Geography and while at Headington she was selected to be a Prefect, which taught her basic leadership skills which she believes were fundamental to her career as an Officer in the RAF. She was also heavily involved in extracurricular theatre arts which provided a platform to build self-confidence and learn vital communication skills.
Before going to university, to expand her horizons Megan took a gap year, working locally and travelling around eastern and southern Africa. Megan obtained an English Literature degree from Warwick University before joining the RAF and has since completed a BSc in Logistics Management to complement her career in logistics in the Royal Air Force. She also achieved an MA in History and Philosophy, just for fun!
Megan has had many different roles during her career in the RAF, including work as an aircraft dispatcher, overseeing the load and offload of military aircraft in places such as the Falkland Islands, California, and Oman. She has hosted VIPs, from Royalty to cultural celebrities and been tasked with repatriating fallen service people back to the UK from war.
As a Logistics Officer, Megan has travelled all over the world and worked in support of a number of global Operations including delivering disaster relief with the helicopter force, training new generations of airmen and women, acting as UK’s strategic air logistics lead for evacuation of 15,000 people in Afghanistan in 2021 and helping to deliver 300,000 Covid-19 vaccines by air to British nationals around the world. She is also one of fewer than 100 trained Human Security Advisors in the Ministry of Defence.
“The thing that has been most useful to me in later life, that I learnt at Headington, is the importance of having a set of personal values. Headington gave me opportunities to explore what was important to me, what impact I wanted to have on the world, and what standards I was or was not willing to accept. These personal values have evolved and developed over time as I have grown with experience, but having a fundamental understanding of who I am has driven my actions and decisions to ensure that I impact the world around me positively.”
“Growing up, I was (and still am) in awe of any woman who stands up to injustice and gives a voice to those who are seldom heard. When I was at Headington, my list of inspirational women included Maya Angelou, Virginia Woolf, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Today, my list would also include Greta Thunberg and Professor Olivette Otele.”
