I write this as my seventh intake show their portfolios to the industry, knowing that the industry will describe them as the best intake leaving any advertising course this year.

We have been very lucky, but we make our own luck.

We were lucky to be able to bring together a cohort of intelligent, ambitious, down-to-earth, talented creative souls who simply needed nurturing.

We were lucky to keep our brilliant faculty together, growing it with the addition of Rob Macgillivry and Alex Taylor. Both have a wealth of talent, shared advice generously and knew when to apply either carrot or stick.

We were lucky when Pete Cain left us. We knew he would be back, but it opened up the opportunity to invite Ann Wixley and Andy Sandoz to join our faculty whilst they were on garden leave. My students got to see why I rate Andy as one of the greatest of my generation, and why six previous intakes had all praised Ann so highly as a mentor. Both helped us to raise our game.

We are lucky to be so well supported by our industry, with an army of 900 active mentors and generous sponsors. It meant that we were able to distribute ten scholarships to this intake, changing lives through education.

We are very lucky to have such a brilliant star in Honor, who takes the lead on our agency relationships, running Portfolio Day and managing placements. She has been a big sister to countless students across four intakes and I get almost as much pleasure watching her grow in confidence as I do with my students.

It’s nearly 10 am and the hall is filling up with agencies.

In ten hours’ time, Fat Penguin will be ready to fly.

I am very lucky to have the best job in advertising. I already know my next brief: In exactly two month’s time, I get to do this all over again with a new intake and we need to be even better.