Alumni Spotlight: Rennan Dwyer – Class of 2022

Meet Rennan, a graduate of the Class of 2022. As the founder of Spindrift Media, Rennan is carving out a unique path, capturing stories through photo, video and drone work. He helps brands connect with their audiences in real and honest ways. His journey proves that success doesn’t always follow the traditional route. Sometimes it starts with a camera, a big idea and a quiet confidence built back in high school.

What are you doing now? Tell us about your job or studies and your journey since graduating.

Right now, I run Spindrift Media, a full-time creative business based here in WA. We create sharp, honest content for builders, brewers, musicians and anyone else who’s tired of content that looks good but says nothing.

What that actually means?

I shoot photo, video, drone and strategy-driven content, helping small businesses look and feel bigger, and helping big brands reconnect with the people who made them.

We don’t just ‘make reels’. We tell stories that make people care.

I used to explain it like:

“I make you look cooler online.”

Now it’s:

“I figure out what makes you great and make other people see it too.”

It’s creative work. But it’s also strategic, business-focused and built on results.

If you’re just after a pretty Instagram post, that’s not us.

But if you want consistent content that builds trust, momentum and a legit presence, that’s Spindrift.

We’re fully booked months in advance. I’m shooting gigs for music festivals, documenting trades behind the scenes, working with brands I used to look up to online.

And now I’m building a team, not to scale big, but to scale right.

One client, one result, one project at a time.

How did your time at Our Lady of Mercy College (OLMC) shape your career or studies? Were there any teachers, subjects, or programs that inspired you?

Funny enough, the name Spindrift first popped into my head while I was still at OLMC.

Not during a grand speech. Not on some vision board. Just… in the back of class.

I didn’t know what it would become, just that I liked the word. And the idea of doing something different.

I wasn’t on the ATAR path. I was actually the first in my year group to officially drop out of ATAR.

I still remember walking up to Mr de Lima’s office like, “Look, mate… this isn’t it”.

And he didn’t tell me off. He helped me find a new path.

That’s what I loved about OLMC. It wasn’t just one track or one way to 'succeed'.

They let you try, explore and figure out how you work best.

While I was at school I completed:

• Cert II in Film and Photography (took me two years — worth every second)

• Cert II in Creative Industries (basically a workplace program — I like to think that meant I worked the hardest)

• Cert III in Drone Aviation, which I now use almost every week professionally

I also did:

• About six months of work experience at the Dolphin Discovery Centre in their media team

• About a year and a half of work experience at Thomson Surveying, which eventually turned into a post-school apprenticeship

Thomson’s a great company with a great name in Bunbury. It just wasn’t the right fit for me long-term. Some of the culture didn’t match. I was in a weird spot at the time.

And deep down, I knew I cared more about cameras than compasses.

So, I left.

Tried running Spindrift solo. Failed for a few months.

Then I got a job at Bunnings and weirdly, that’s where things really began to move.

Massive thanks to Mrs Johnstone, who ran the Media Cert for me, even when I was the only student most of the time.

We sat on opposite ends of the room like some strange academic standoff — but those were some of my favourite moments.

Shoutout to:

• Mr Briers and Mr Harris, who helped me figure out pathways when I had no clue.

• Mrs Parmar, who always made space for genuine chats.

• Viv McKenzie, who led our year with heart, humour, and grit. 

What is a memorable moment from your time at Our Lady of Mercy College?

Honestly, some of my best memories were the conversations, with teachers, classmates and mentors, that weren’t part of the curriculum.

A lot of them are blurs now, but I remember going out of my way to talk to people about real things. Not just assignments or gossip, but ideas, direction, doubts and where life might go next.

Also — spending most of my time in Cert II Media with Mrs Johnstone as the only student in the class is something I’ll never forget. That room, that space, that dynamic — it shaped my confidence. It was like a mini studio where I learnt to think independently. 

What lessons or values from your time at the College do you still carry with you?

Try as many things as possible.

School gave me the space to explore a dozen different paths. And without that? There’s no Spindrift. No business. No story worth reading.

Certs do matter — if you use them. Even if it’s not forever, the skills stack up. Workplace learning is essential. Not everyone has close people to walk them through real options.

Talk to teachers. Really talk. That one convo might change your life.

Trust is your best asset. Online and offline.

The best marketing is being a good human.

If you could give advice to a student at Our Lady of Mercy College about preparing for life after high school, what would it be?

21½ Life Lessons with Rennan

Not advice. Just a few things I’ve learnt by trying, failing, trying again and listening along the way.

1. Most gamblers quit before they win big.

Same with business. Same with habits. Same with leg day.

2. Just ask.

Most things I’ve gotten — jobs, clients, lessons, mentors — came from opening my mouth and asking. Nicely.

3. Try more than one thing.

At school I did Cert II in Film & Photography, Cert III in Drone Aviation, and Cert II in Creative Industries. One was hands-on. One felt like a ticket to the future. The other taught me how to show up and work hard.

4. Not every path will feel right — but it’ll teach you something.

I worked with dolphins. Surveyed land. Picked up shifts at Bunnings. Each one added a brick to who I am now. Even the failed ones.

5. Work experience should be mandatory.

I spent six months with the Dolphin Discovery Centre, over a year with Thomson Surveying, and learnt more doing than I ever could sitting still. If you’re unsure, try something. Then try something else.

6. You don’t have to peak at school.

I wasn’t dux. Wasn’t loud. But I stayed curious. And that’s the thing that’s helped the most.

7. Build real relationships.

With teachers, bosses, customers, strangers. A conversation is often the reason I’ve gotten in the room. Still is.

8. Bunnings was my best networking gig.

I made cold calls from the timber yard. I’d take unpaid days off to drive to Perth for a 10-minute coffee. If you want it to happen, you’ll find ways to show up.

9. School is what you make it.

I was the only student in Media most of the time. Just me and Mrs Johnstone — opposite ends of the room. But those lessons stuck. That class made me think: what if this became a job?

10. Respect your teachers.

Mr Briers, Mr Harris, Mrs Parmar, Viv McKenzie — they didn’t just teach, they saw me. Encouraged me. Gave me options. A few even helped me shape business ideas. That kind of care matters more than you think. Find those teachers.

11. You’ll cringe at your first work.

If you don’t, you waited too long to start.

12. Party. Just don’t let it be your only personality.

Enjoy the moments. But make sure you’re building something bigger too.

13. A Cert doesn’t mean much unless you use it.

But when you do, it can be the spark. Whether it’s a drone license or a workplace award, apply it. Build from it.

14. Small towns aren’t limiting.

They’re launchpads. If you know how to connect, build trust and show up, you’ll get more support than you think.

15. You don’t have to go viral to grow.

Most of my business came from word-of-mouth, reputation and consistent effort. You can build without being a trend.

16. Be okay with changing your mind.

Surveying wasn’t for me. Neither was doing nothing. So, I built Spindrift. It didn’t work at first. Then it did.

17. Listen more. Then talk. Then do.

Most people jump to step 3. Don’t skip step 1.

18. Everything is a business.

Every shirt. Every car part. Every beachside café. Even yerba mate. Once you see it, you can build it.

19. You can’t rush trust.

That goes for friends, clients, teammates and yourself.

20. If you’ve got a good idea, start small.

I started Spindrift while juggling jobs and studying. First with no clients. Then a few. Now, I’m booked out months ahead.

21. Have something you’re working toward.

Doesn’t have to be perfect. Doesn’t have to be final. Just have a reason to show up.

21½. Use AI.

This whole write-up? Came from late nights, voice notes and a few solid chats with ChatGPT.

Gary Vee says the people who use AI will replace the people who don’t. I don’t know about replacing, but it’s helped me write more clearly.

(Still, the ideas are mine. The tone’s mine. The typos? Those are gone.) 

What has been the biggest challenge since leaving school, and how have you handled it?

Honestly? The hardest part has been feeling misunderstood.

People around me did back me. My parents, my mates, even some early clients — they all said the right things.

But it’s one thing to support someone, and another to truly understand the vision they’re chasing.

And I don’t blame them. I could barely explain it myself.

I wasn’t following a set path. I didn’t have a job title you could look up. I was filming tradies in the rain, editing music videos in the back of a Bunnings break room, and skipping sleep to drive to Perth for a ten-minute coffee with a maybe-client.

It didn’t look like much from the outside. But it meant everything to me.

And that’s a weird place to live in, when you feel supported, but still completely on your own.

Only now, years later, am I seeing the vision take shape.

And the wildest part? This week, I rewatched an old video I made while still in high school where I described the exact kind of life I wanted.

And I’m living it.

Not in some polished, perfect way. I haven’t 'made it'.

But the version of success I once dreamed about — I’m standing in it now.

And that gives me proof that the rest will come too.

Lesson?

Even when people back you, it’s still your job to believe in the vision, and carry it, even if no one else sees it yet. 

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

First off — someone’s going to read this, figure out I’m only 20, and go:

“Alright mate… slow down.”

And that’s fine.

But I’m not writing this for them.

I’m writing this for the one person who actually reads this properly — maybe while they’re still in school, maybe years out — and thinks:

“Hang on, maybe I could give something a proper crack too.”

That’s who this is for.

Truth is, I’ve read a few of the other alumni responses from people way ahead of me — some who graduated before, some after, and even a couple from my year group — and it’s wild how we’re all sort of saying the same thing in our own ways.

School is just the start. No one has it all figured out. Everyone’s trying their best.

And that shared thread has been weirdly comforting. Because for every polished response, you know there’s still real-life chaos behind the scenes. So, I hope this one lands with the same honesty, even if it reads like it was written mid-existential-crisis (which it sort of was, on a voice note in my car on the way to Perth).

I’ve put off writing this for a while. Mostly because I don’t feel like I’ve 'made it'.

But I’m starting to realise that 'made it' means different things to different versions of you.

Right now, I’m literally living out the thing I said I wanted to do when I was in Year 12.

Down to the name. Down to the work.

And that’s wild to admit out loud.

I’m running Spindrift Media full-time, creating content that actually helps businesses grow. I’m working with brands I used to look up to online. I’m traveling. I’m booked out months in advance. And I’m building a team, not to scale big, but to scale right, with people I trust.

And yet, I still haven’t hit my current definition of success.

That keeps shifting. That’s the game.

Beyond Spindrift, there are other things brewing:

• A product-based business I’m developing

• An app idea I want to explore one day

• And a business idea from high school, pitched by one of my careers teachers — I still think it’s a brilliant concept, and I’d love to reconnect and try building it with him. Just for the story, if nothing else.

I’m also proud to be contributing to the Bunbury Artificial Reef project, which is about more than content — it’s about shaping something meaningful for our coastline, our ecosystem and our community.

But honestly, the five-year plan is flexible. I’m not glued to a perfect outcome.

AI might change my industry. Life might throw a curveball.

If I’m still in business, great.

If I’ve pivoted or partnered or moved industries entirely — that’s probably for a reason.

And if nothing else, I just want to keep doing things that feel meaningful and surround myself with people I’d want to work beside.

A lot of people have told me to niche down. But not niching down has let me work with builders, brewers, musicians, and mentors. That variety fuels me. That’s why I do what I do.

So, to anyone younger reading this, or anyone who’s still figuring it out:

Pick a path that excites you. Even if no one else gets it.

Even if your mates don’t back it.

Even if you’re still figuring it out.

Chances are — they are too.

And if reading this didn’t inspire you… maybe it at least shows you how not to sound.

I don’t mind being that guy either.

Either way, I’m genuinely grateful to have had the chance to write this.

To OLMC, thanks for building a platform like this, and for letting me be a part of it.

Can’t wait to read the rest of the stories.

Because we’re all still writing ours.

To get in touch with Rennan, visit SPINDRIFT MEDIA.

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