Taimia’s Story
Taimia already had a very good reason to sign up for her Gold Award, she wanted to stand out from the rest. Taimia was applying for a competitive course at university and wanted to show that she was a ‘well-rounded individual’. However, as she continued her DofE she realised there was so much more to DofE than it just looking good on her CV.
Taimia says “Throwing myself into the deep end helped me break out of the bubble I had kept myself in, so I could explore the real world.”
Taimia feels that every aspect of the Award has helped shape her into the person that she is today. Her skill section, learning to drive has given her independence, whilst the physical section has led her to now take part in marathons. Her expedition and residential section have motivated her to now guide people up Mount Snowdon and support people wanting to take part in charity climbs. All these achievements are impressive; however, Taimia feels her volunteering section was her most profound.
In 2016 Taimia volunteered to lead and prepare for Charity week. This was the first time she had to take on a leadership role and she had a fear of public speaking. She describes her first presentation as awful. She said, “seeing a crowd of over 150 people staring at me try to deliver a presentation had me feel flustered and overwhelmed… and I forgot what I was supposed to say”
However, with time and a lot of practice, Taimia became more and more confident. In 2017 her role on the Charity Week Midlands team involved supporting schools, colleges, and universities. She was needed to deliver presentations in assemblies and workshops across the Region and this helped dissipate her fear of public speaking.
Taimia says “I thought it was the children who needed my support and guidance, but towards the end of the year I found I needed them. The children motivated me, I felt privileged to be working with tomorrow’s leaders. Overall the experience has been grounding, broadened my own world view and has supported my personal development”
