While one store can offer customers the choice of 54 jeans, two of its sales assistants are grappling with more than 30,000 genes of a very different kind.
Trendy Swansea men’s clothing shop Officers Club can boast two budding geneticists amongst its sales assistants.
Alex Seddon and Ali Khan, both second year Swansea University under graduates, have found themselves working alongside each other at the Officers Club in Swansea’s Quadrant shopping centre.
Ali, 21, who lives in Port Tennant, Swansea, is reading medical genetics while Alex, 19, originally from Ffordd Gelfft, Connah’s Quay, is reading genetics.
Originally from London, Ali came to Swansea more than five years ago. His sister had enrolled at Swansea University and the family had enjoyed a holiday on the Gower.
The entire family decided on a move to South Wales and not only did a second sister attend Swansea University, but Ali’s mother got a job teaching in its adult learning department.
“I passed A levels in psychology, chemistry and biology and wanted to go into medicine. I went into medical genetics because this course is the best for getting into post-graduate medicine.
“I wanted to go to Swansea University because I had made friends here and I didn’t want to leave. At the end of my degree I need a 2:1 and then I do another exam to see if I can be accepted for the post-graduate course.
“Basically it is a fast-track course in medicine and hopefully can lead to me becoming a junior medical doctor.
“The Officers Club took me on last Christmas as a temp and kept me on which I’m very happy about because it helps me out with money and keeps the student debt down.
“It’s a great atmosphere here and everyone really gets along, I enjoy coming to work. I’m hoping even if I graduate I may still be able to keep working here part-time,” he said.
“I got a job here in September last year and I’ve really enjoyed it, it’s a great place to work,” said Alex. “The people you work with can make a job a hell of a lot better, and the people I work with are great.”
“I did my A levels at Mold Alun High and got biology, chemistry and physics. I was accepted onto the same genetics course at Swansea that Ali is on, although he is doing medical genetics.
“I would like to get into research after my degree, although it’s a very competitive area. I would particularly like to get into cancer research,” he said.
This September however, Alex is off to Spain for a gap year, with girlfriend Ella Lewis. Ella, from Lewisham in London, but whose father is originally from Caerphilly, is also studying at Swansea University where she is reading Spanish.
“She’s applied to spend a year in Spain as a teaching assistant and is waiting to here where she will be based, possibly somewhere like Andalucía or Galicia. We’ll find a flat there and I’m hoping to get some work,” he said.
It’s a timely move since Alex’s parents, mum Louise and crane driver step-father Keith Dennis, have already sold up at Connah’s Quay and moved out to Murcia for their retirement.
Ian Kirkpatrick, Manager of the Quadrant Centre, said: “We have so many talented people working here at the Quadrant but it’s still remarkable to have two geneticists in one store.
“It shows what an important role the retail trade plays in allowing young people to continue their studies while finding employment that enables them to pay their way and learn about the world of work.”
Ali has thrown himself into university life and recently helped organise a multi cultural event at the university – which earned him tea and a thank-you from Swansea’s Lord Mayor Cllr Ioan Richard.
“There didn’t seem to be many multi-cultural events and yet the university and Swansea are becoming much more multi-cultural. The festival cost between £5-6K and we had funding from a lot of different sources.
“We had different cultural events and stalls, workshops and a massive show in the university theatre. It attracted a lot of people, families came in and it was educational.
“The Lord Mayor wanted to acknowledge our hard work and invited us to the Guildhall for tea and to present us with an award for our efforts.”
