By BEN CAMERON
A BERWICK student almost got lost but eventually found herself while attaining the world’s highest achievement award for young people.
Kaitlyn Robertson completed the big three – gold, silver and bronze – of the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Award, which she received at the inaugural Gold Award Gala held at the Melbourne Town Hall on Saturday.
Robertson, who started her bronze level while completing Year 9 at Berwick College, said the program had helped her grow significantly as a person.
“I can confidently say that the completion of all three Duke of Edinburgh awards, even though they have been extremely challenging for me, has allowed me to grow as not only a member of the community but also as an individual,” she said.
“(While) it is challenging to complete these awards as an individual, it is not impossible if you have people around you how are willing to support.
“I also learnt a lot about myself as an individual and my limits while undertaking many of my adventurous journeys which each pushed me in some way.”
One of those journeys was to Lady Somers Camp, where girls are able to develop leadership skills by taking part in a range of challenging activities.
“This camp pushed not only me but the team I belonged to to our extremes to show us that we can do more, and how far we can push ourselves when we put our mind to it,” she said.
“I participated in many treks which lasted several days, where endurance, stamina, perseverance and preparations were vital.
“However, one of my other favourites was the hikes that I participated in while in Brighton as it pushed me physically to my extremes as we navigated steep inclines on track which had been burned and washed away.
“I got lost various times, had to create new tracks where the old ones had been washed away by the river and weather extremes when our hike started out on a boiling hot day to a freezing cold day as snow set in a we completed the final leg of the journey.”
There were many aspects to the awards, including many hours of physical recreation, working on a specific skill of choice, and volunteering, where she spent each week at Villa Maria Nursing home.
“I made many new friends and was taught not only about history of their generations in general, but also their own personal histories,” she said.
“I was also taught that we should definitely look to elders for their wisdom as they are willing to share it with even the youngest generations if they are asked.“
She said it was a “balancing act” to combine the awards, studying VCE, working as a lifeguard for Casey Race and learning to drive.
