Shalom College
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9 Fitzgerald Street
Bundaberg QLD 4670
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Email: shalom@shalomcollege.com
Phone: 07 4155 8111

Duke of Edinburgh

Olivia W has just received notification that she has achieved her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.  She is one of just two students who have completed their Bronze, Silver and Gold Award through the Shalom Award Centre. When you start counting the hours for each level and each category it would total hundreds of hours if not one thousand across all awards. Apart from the wonderful experiences Olivia has for life, she has also developed new skills, kept physically active and worked within the community. She has shown remarkable grit and resilience. I congratulate her for this wonderful achievement. Her journey, in her own words is below.
 
Hi, I am Olivia W, a current Year 12 student and I have just completed the Gold Duke of Edinburgh award in my final year of study at the School. I first started my Duke’s journey around three years ago, by completing the Bronze Award in Year 9, and since then, my skillset and knowledge has grown immensely to help shape me into the person I am today.
 
The Award is a completely unique program specifically tailored to you as an individual, as it recognizes interest, hobbies, passions that you already have, or want to achieve, and takes you on a journey that encourages individuality and freedom. The four sections of the award: Skills, Physical Recreation, Service, and Adventurous journey, are all as equally valuable as each other, teaching you the worth of constantly improving who you are and the importance of working hard to achieve your goals. For myself, across all of the awards, I was able to develop my leadership skills in my athletic coaching, improve my proficiency in Taekwondo, and give back to the community and foster meaningful relationships within the service section. However, what I enjoyed the most was the opportunity to sail on the South Passage Adventurous Journey Voyage, where participants were set to work manning and working on a 30 metre Gaff-rigged Schooner, sailing along the beautiful east coast, visiting islands, and stargazing at the unclouded constellations of the night sky. 
 
I originally completed the award to enhance my skills and set goals outside of school, but Duke of Edinburgh is all that and more. It has taught me the importance of setting goals that challenge you, to work in a team to problem solve and adapt, the drive to maintain your fitness, the friendships new experiences can make, and the value of giving your time to benefit the wellbeing of others. Most recently, it has helped me in deciding where I want my future to lead after school, as through the program I realized I enjoyed this challenging and rewarding lifestyle, leading me to an application to the Australian Defence Force Academy. Without Duke’s I would not have learnt that value of hands-on experience, leadership skills, and strive for excellence, which are all vital values of the Defence Force that I will become a part of. I strongly recommend everyone, at any level of schooling, to undertake the Award and its endless opportunities, because all you need is yourself, a want to discover your place in the world, and a readiness to do things that you love. 
Mr David Eke