Friends Andrew Mattner, Matt Kerin and Simon Hasler share a bond that has lasted long past their graduation day more than 30 years ago.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better group of friends than Andrew Mattner (BEc(Acc) ’94), Matt Kerin (BCom ’94) and Simon Hasler (BCom ’94).
The group’s three-decades-long friendship began when they were bright-eyed students at Flinders University in the 1990s and has lasted the course while each has pursued their own successful career.
Andrew is the Owner and Director of financial services business Altitude Advisory, Matt is the Finance Manager at SA Heart, and Simon is the Commercial Manager at Beach Energy.
‘I loved the social aspect of university – we may not have been the most compliant students,’ Andrew jokes when asked about his favourite memories from Flinders.
The classroom did, however, bring him together with Simon and Matt.
‘I met Simon on the first day of orientation, and we’ve been mates ever since. Then I met Matt really early on in a lecture or tutorial, and we both became mates with him,’ says Andrew.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Outside of the lecture theatre, the three friends spent most of their time on campus either playing sports in the gym (Simon was particularly into basketball), playing ‘far too many hours’ of cards in the refectory, watching new-release movies at the Matthew Flinders Theatre, or socialising at the Tavern.
In the years since graduating, despite their busy – and highly successful – careers, the group still makes time for activities together like fishing, playing and watching football, playing golf, and eating out.
‘We all played football at Goodwood Saints,’ says Simon. ‘And in more recent times, we try to get over to Melbourne to watch an AFL game or two and play some golf.’
THE EVER-CHANGING UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE
While Andrew, Matt and Simon all look back on their time at Flinders fondly, they wonder if it’s the same for students in 2022.
‘With so much online now, I wonder whether the social interaction has been lost. Or maybe I am just showing my age, and it has simply taken a different form,’ says Simon.
But they’re optimistic that future students will make the most of what life presents them.
‘Life isn’t always going to work out exactly how you planned. There will always be curveballs,’ says Matt.
‘But eventually, you will find a path that gets you to where you want to go.’