My name is Scott Hurlston and I teach English to second- and third-year students here at Guangzhou Xinhua University.

After leaving school, I spent nine years in the UK Armed Forces. During that time, I served in the Falkland Islands once and in Iraq twice. When I wasn't serving on tour, I was often found sailing in the North Sea and the Mediterranean, enjoying the camaraderie and competition that accompanied the sport.

I studied at Teesside University for two years. In that time, I graduated with first-class honours in Business Management and stayed to complete a master's degree the following year. More recently, I took the opportunity to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, before fulfilling an ambition to study Roman history at Oxford.

I'm proud to say that, for four years, I served as a governor at my local school. Having a strategic role on the school's board was a rewarding experience, not least because I saw the results of our ethos and policies in the standards we reached, and in the children that prospered.

This is the fifth Chinese institution in which I've worked full time. I've also taught at Pingxiang University, Dalian Maritime University, Soochow University and Xi'an Jiaotong University. In each case there's always been something that I've learned and enjoyed along the way. I hope that, in addition to producing creative and competitive lessons, I can set a good example to others and continue to help everyone on their way to graduation.