Students from Heathdale Christian College received their Duke of Edinburgh Awards. 84938 Picture: JOE MASTROIANNI
By VANESSA VALENZUELA
SECONDARY school students in Wyndham received their Duke of Edinburgh Awards at a special ceremony earlier this month.
Twenty-six students from Heathdale Christian College and Suzanna Cory High School were recognised by Cr Kim McAliney for their resilience, determination and commitment to their community.
Heathdale students Salomi Ganthala, 16, and Natalie Graham, 17, received their silver awards last week and said they were proud of their personal achievements.
“You feel like you have accomplished something. It definitely puts you out of your comfort zone, but it is worth it,” Salomi said.
Both students recently returned from a four-day hiking trip in New Zealand which will help them qualify for the gold award later this year.
“The awards are very highly regarded and it looks great on your CV. For me, it shows what I have done and it shows future employers that I have the skills that they want,” Natalie said.
Natalie and Salomi are required to spend a minimum of three months volunteering and learning new skills to complete the program, but often find it hard to juggle school with other commitments.
“It can get a bit hard at times. It’s not that you don’t want to go but you get so tired with stuff from school. But you still go because it’s a goal you really want to get to,” Salomi said.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is the world’s leading achievement for young people aged between 14 and 25. This year marks 50 years of The Duke of Edinburgh Award in Australia.
For more information about the awards visit www.theaward.com.au
