I consider myself extremely lucky to have been an Award holder for bronze, silver, gold and the commemorative Diamond Awards, in addition to have gone through this tremendous journey. I started at the bronze level and made it all the way to gold. For me, this award isn’t about the three pins that I wear proudly on my chest, it’s about the journey, the bonds of friendships made along the way, the guidance that we sought from our mentors, the goals we set, the challenges and fears we over came, it was pushing ourselves to think big and pushing past our capabilities, it was us celebrating as a family when reunited again. This award allowed me to find my spark, it allowed me to strengthen my voice, use my platform to advocate for mental health and directed me on the career path that I am passionate about. As an award holder it gives me great pride that my dreams of leading my country is not far from reach, more so as a Virtual Award Leader I am able to carry on the guiding principles and mentor the next generation of Award participants.
This Award program has been a huge part of myself development and I would strongly encourage young people to get involved!