BONBEACH student Frazer Kemp, 18, was among 73 people awarded the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at a gala event at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne this month.
Victorian Governor Linda Dessau presented the awards on Saturday 3 December.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is reportedly the world’s leading achievement award for young people. Since it was established in 1963, it has challenged and enriched the lives of thousands of young Victorians giving them the opportunity to become confident in their abilities, build connections and tap into their potential, its promoters say.
Frazer, who attends Mentone Grammar School, says he developed perseverance through the constant commitment required to achieve the award and extend himself through experiences that weren’t always easy.
He says he became more willing to step outside of his comfort zone and develop in character, particularly through his volunteer work.
“It gave more breadth to my education and allowed me to develop more holistically as a person,” he said.
“Completing the award put me in challenging positions where I was able to learn more about myself; for example, when I was in Papua New Guinea and was out living with a family completely on my own for two nights.”
Fraser also learned to push himself to become more confident and involved.
“The award process made me proud of my community and allowed me to understand how each individual’s talents contribute to the community,” he said.
“Prior to the award I was focused on improving myself, [but] after serving the community I learnt that that focus is a lot more rewarding.”
Victorian Award organisation CEO Anoushka Gungadin said the award provided “real world” knowledge and opportunities for future leaders to learn essential life skills.
“We are very proud of our gold awardees,” she said.
“Frazer has worked extremely hard [and] we are optimistic about his future, with such a high percentage of awardees gaining confidence in their job prospects.”
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 14 December 2016