‘Duke of Edinburgh was an experience like no other; the skills that we learnt, the map reading, hiking and overall teamwork are vital in terms of self-progression. The personal skills we learnt, such as resilience, determination and a will to succeed were, in my opinion, the most important. DofE is an expedition that is almost enlightening; you learn things about yourself that you never knew, and, after three days of hiking, you come out as a new person, someone that you never knew existed. You are a better version of yourself. ‘In my case, I did the expedition on crutches and it was by far one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. There was no option to opt out. The crutches just upped the level of difficulty I was facing, and blistered hands and sprained wrists didn’t help the situation. I think the only reason I made it through was due to my fear of failure and the help of my three teammates who were there for me every step of the way, providing incredible amounts of moral support.’ I can honestly say that doing both Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver awards has changed my perspective on the world and what I can achieve. It feels as if the world really is my oyster and my potential to achieve success is limitless.’
Marko with Renee, Okorite and Nezere
‘Marko completed a hike of over 40km in three days, all of it on crutches. He never complained once, nor asked for any special treatment. He showed a lot of courage, determination and perseverance.’ Ms Frewin Thanks to all the staff who made sure the expeditions, as well as all the other award activities, went so well. Special thanks to DofE leaders, Ms Frewin and Mr Bird. Thanks also to sixth formers, Michal Wensierski and Benardo Haxhiu, who assisted on the bronze award expedition and were described by Mr Bird as ‘beyond impressive, making all male members of staff feel quite inadequate all weekend.’
Duke of Edinburgh Award
Sixth former, Marko, completed his silver award expedition on crutches
Duke of Edinburgh Award Presentation In March, we welcomed parents and siblings to celebrate the achievement of students who have completed their DofE awards over the last two years. We heard from these hardy young people about what the programme meant to them. We won’t reveal the names of the group that got lost and managed to cover twice the distance as all the rest of the group. In the photo here you can see Paxina, Andrea and Andrea who told the audience about their DofE experience.
Paxina, Andrea and Andrea
It’s good to get something about DofE on your CV and in your UCAS application but what’s more important is the chance to help people in your community, get fitter, develop new skills, as well as a chance to gain new experiences, discover your talents and make friends. You’ll learn to rely on your peers when necessary but also to be self-reliant and not to expect to be told what to do.
GCA
Issue 11
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