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11 | Friday August 18, 2017 | OAKVILLE BEAVER |www.insidehalton.com Every w eek w e sh o w case topics about local youths. SEN D US YOUR NEWS: If you are a youth and you have a story or photo to share, we'll do our best to publish it on this page. Em ail it to ablackburn@ oakvillebeaver. com, along with your nam e and a brief paragraph about why you w ant to share it with our readers. Seven O akville youths w in D uke o f Edinburgh's G old A w ard S even Oakville youths were among 80 who received The Duke of Edinburgh's International Gold Award, that empowers young people to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others by exploring their potential, taking on new challenges, giving back to their communities and achieving success. Governor General of Canada David Johnston presented the awards to the winners in a ceremony at Upper Canada College earlier this year. The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award believes not all learning happens in the classroom and aims to help equip young Canadians aged 14-24 years for success in life. Oakville award recipients included: bass major at the Etobicoke School of the Arts. I couldn't have achieved my accomplishments without the leadership and confdence I gained through my years completing the Duke of Edinburghs Award," said Eric. Aseera Jivraj Adventurous Journey: Sailing expedition in the St. Lawrence River ; Community Service: Tutoring and volunteering at prayer hall; Physical Recreation: Volleyball, Swimming, Cross Country, Dance, Yoga, Gym activities; Skill: Piano, robotics. "From being involved in The Duke of Edinburghs Award for all three levels, I have learned the importance of balancing physical activity, service and skills. This program has taught me to stay committed, dedicated and persevere through different tasks, which are crucial skills that I will apply in my future. Even though I have completed the program, I still feel like I need to have a balance between all three of these aspects in my everyday life," said Aseera. allowed me to grow as a well-rounded and socially-conscious individual," Matthew said. Annie Laskaris Adventurous Journey: Hiking, canoeing, and portaging in the Kawartha Lakes and Algonquin Park; Community Service: Volunteered at the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) four years; Physical Recreation: hockey, soccer, rugby and swimming; Skill: Spanish and photography lessons. "The Duke of Edinburgh's Award gave me the opportunity to grow as an individual and opened me up to a vast array of experiences that I otherwise might not have been exposed to. I am truly thankful for the memories I made, the friendships I built, and the skills I gained and honed throughout my journey: The Duke of Edinburgh's Award will be something I remember for a lifetime, and I have no doubt that I am better for having been part of this program, from the Bronze level through to the Gold level," Annie said. Nathalie Loeb Adventurous Journey: North Frontenac Parklands canoe trip; Community Service: Piano teacher with Safetynet Childrens Charity, community park clean-up, Multiple Sclerosis Society event volunteer, City of Burlington Day Camp volunteer; Physical Fitness: Ballet and cycling; Skill: Piano performance (ARCT, Canadian Music Competition Provincial Finalist). Silhouette Trail in Killarney Provincial Park; Community Service: Flagbearer for the 2015 Toronto Pan Am / Para Pan Am Games; Physical Recreation: Short track speed skater; Skill: Project management, leadership, budgeting and youth mentorship. "The Duke of Ed helped me to understand what I was really capable of accomplishing and to not set arbitrary limits for myself, but rather say, why not? Thus, through the Duke of Ed program I challenged myself to be stronger, more fearless and to fn d practical ways to help other people," Daniel said. M att Holland Eric Sheppard Adventurous Journey: Sailing trip on the St. Lawrence; Community Service: Volunteer usher for the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, volunteer at St. Jude's Church, fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society, volunteer at food drives for the Oakville Fare Share Food Bank; Physical Recreation: Rugby, curling and gym workouts; Skill: Lessons on the double bass. "I participated in the Bronze, Silver and Gold levels of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award throughout my high school years as a double Adventurous Journey: Peru with Maximo Nivel for construction; Community Service: Adopted a trail in Oakville, mentor in the Big Brothers Little Brothers of Halton for coming up to three years, and tennis coach of the McMaster tennis team; Physical Recreation: Weight training; Skill: Guitar. "The best part about the award is that you're doing things you enjoy anyway. That's what is most memorable for m e-- I'm doing everything I want to be doing anyway and just getting recognized for it," Matt said. Matthew Helsdon Adventurous Journey: Canoe trip in Algonquin Park; Community Service: Fundraising events for organizations such as United Way and Canadian Cancer Society, as well as volunteering at numerous arts-based events; Physical Recreation: Tennis, squash, swimming; Fitness Training Skill: Tuba. 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