New Opportunities, Vivian’s Award Story

The Award would know to introduce Vivian! Vivian is a Silver Award achiever from Toronto, Ontario. Vivian used the Award to try new things and even when barriers were raised, she preserved Let’s hear about Vivian’s story.    

“After completing the Silver level for the  Award, I think it is safe to say that I have learned so many new things that are so valuable to me, and that I will use for the rest of my life. I cannot lie, a great deal of the activities that I did have been bittersweet.   

Adventurous Journey  

I went on a five-day camping voyage, one of the most challenging but rewarding adventures I have ever had. The sheer cold that I experienced on the first night was something that I will never forget the feeling of. Even before I arrived at the camp, I was faced with one of the most stressful decisions that have happened to me in my life so far. Our car got stuck in the wrong area in the snow, and it would not come out no matter what.  What was worse was that I was late to go to my program in Algonquin Park. We were so desperate that despite knowing full well that we didn’t have service, we repeatedly called the number and even considered calling 911. There were no cars or people anywhere near us, but our luck changed after we decided to start walking towards the motorcycle we could hear! They helped us get our car out of the snow, and I got there an hour late. Other than that, and the constant physically draining activities, I made some friends at camp which made the experience memorable.   

Physical Recreation  

I also did circuit workouts for the physical recreation section. By setting a SMART goal I was able to achieve what I wanted. My mom joined me in this activity, and it was nice having her there to laugh with. 

Skill  

For my skill I wanted to deepen my understanding in the field of veterinarian work through self-teaching myself with a textbook. This was the hardest and most mentally straining thing I have ever done. I am personally not very good at science, but ever since I was young, I have always loved animals, so that is why I have been set on being a veterinarian for pretty much all my life. Sadly, the hardship I have with science often makes me question if it is the right path for me, but I honestly cannot think of another profession. Therefore, I took upon the challenge of trying to decipher the textbook all by myself. I highlighted and annotated notes throughout the whole book. I want to enhance my annotating skills because I need help deciding what is important enough to make note of. I learned a lot, but there is still a lot of information to learn, this has helped me and hopefully will make my biology classes a little easier!   

Volunteer Service   

Lastly, the most memorable and valuable opportunity has been my voluntary service. I have been accepted to work in the special care unit at a senior care home, and it has brought me so much joy seeing all the seniors and talking to them, and making them feel a little bit happier. One of the hardships is that most of the patients on that floor have either dementia or Alzheimer’s which sometimes makes talking to them a little hard. Their behavior is also aggressive, and I have seen a senior kick another senior in front of the staff before. At first, all of this was a little hard to get accustomed to but after just a few weeks, it was a place I was always looking forward to going to. Due to COVID-19, I could not volunteer for a few months, so I had to fill that gap by writing cards to seniors. If it was not clear, I love talking to seniors, and I can make them even a little bit happier.   

The Award helped me find my infinite potential in all sorts of different aspects from learning to exercise to even camping during the winter. Overall, the  Award has given me so many opportunities to try new things and learn from my mistakes, and I will be forever grateful. I believe that young people should sign up for the Award because of the achievement and emotion this program brings! It pushed me to finish and do things that I would have otherwise not done, and I think it will do the same for you.  

• Vivian, Silver Award Holder   

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