Southland Girls’ High School pupil Gabriella Hughes won the overall excellence award at the Blue Light organisation’s lifeskills camp at Burnham Military Camp in Canterbury last month.
Those determining the awards cited her "determination and leadership qualities" which made her a "standout participant".
Reflecting on her time at the lifeskills camp, Gabriella said her most memorable experience was the rare opportunity to see the retired P3K2 Orion at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand at Wigram.
"As an aspiring pilot, witnessing this piece of aviation history was a unique experience.
"I will be buzzing about that for a while", she said.
"My toughest challenge was living in close quarters with 23 other trainees."
However, she overcame this obstacle with patience and resilience, and focused on building positive relationships.
"My first thought was how proud I was of myself", Gabriella said when named the overall excellence award winner.
Her dedication and hard work over the five-day camp had paid off, and she was deeply moved by the recognition from the staff.
Asked what her recommendation to others was about doing a Blue Light course, she replied: "Just do it!
"You may feel like it isn’t for you, that it is hard, and you want to quit, but you need to stick it out to the end because walking out on graduation day knowing what you have accomplished over the past week is the best feeling."
She would like to attend more Blue Light courses or other leadership courses "to grow my knowledge and experiences".
Blue Light is a youth charity organisation dedicated to empowering young people to reach their full potential through various programmes and initiatives. The life skills camps provide participants with valuable skills, experiences, and opportunities for personal growth and development.
Up to 12 courses are held each year in Auckland, Trentham, the central North Island and Burnham.
The independent charity works in partnership with New Zealand Police to create positive connections between young people and police, helping them develop skills and find employment opportunities.
— Staff reporter
