Overcoming obstacles for a great reward

31 August 2021

A quote that comes to mind when thinking of the Edinburgh Award is one by the award’s own guest speaker, Gavin Oattes. He says, ‘Do something that fills you with so much pride that an 8-year-old you would stick it on the fridge.’ No other words, in my opinion, manage to sum up just how valuable, shaping, and teaching of an experience the Edinburgh Award truly is.

Now I know that a lot of people might stand up and say that they will never do anything as amazing as the award and that it was a perfect experience all around, but the truth is, it is not all peaches and roses. Confused? Let me explain.

In my opinion, the Edinburgh Award is designed to expand your horizons and it does so by pushing you to do things you might not originally have decided to do. For example, I had always heard of different volunteer schemes around Edinburgh and, as much as I would like to say I am a fan of volunteering for good causes, I always convinced myself that I did not have the time to participate in them.

Telling myself things such as, 'the training is three hours long and I might need that time to study' or 'I will be too tired to do anything so why bother signing up in the first place!' Lies, all of them.

The truth of the matter is that I was just not motivated enough to push myself out of my little academic and social bubble. With everything being online it didn’t really help either, because it meant late-night meetings and training sessions to accommodate for the students that could not make it back to this wonderful city.

But, in a little burst of motivation, I joined the Edinburgh Award. I physically force myself to attend that first online session. Sitting here now, looking back at my journey, nothing fills me with more joy than to thank my past self for going to that meeting. During the whole process, I made friendships that have since blossomed into some of the closest connections I have shared with other people.

My coaching leaders were kind and compassionate, always ready to help us when we felt like things were getting just a bit too out of hand. As for that volunteering scheme, I mentioned earlier - Not only did I join it, but also this was just one of many things I ended up taking part in.

Here is the thing, at first the award simply acts as a catalyst because you push yourself to do something so you can actually complete it. After, I found myself feeling more confident as I kept going against my natural instinct to avoid any additional work. Soon I was making plans with a theatre group, I was making changes in my life to meet my sustainability goals, and I was taking opportunities to lead which grew my self-confidence tenfold.

As for those coaching leaders, I mentioned earlier, the truth is, that having someone that is just a year or two ahead of you is something not to be taken for granted. They understand your struggles because they were in your shoes, they know what to do and how to help because they had to find the solutions themselves and, in my experience, they were kind and loving at every turn.

They are always ready to help, always ready to talk, and it never felt like there was a divide between us as participants, and them as coaching leaders. This only serves to foster a sense of community within the rest of the group. I found myself talking to random people every session and making friends with people I might never have met otherwise. With each session that rolled by, I could see myself becoming more confident with social interaction, which is something I definitely struggled with at the start.

Overall, the Edinburgh Award program is not one of the best things you will EVER do and it shouldn’t be because that is not the point of the program. The point of it is to open your eyes and show that you are capable of more than you can imagine.

It is a platform to inspire you to do the things you are passionate about and pushes you towards those so that you can live a life you are proud to live. During the process you will meet people and form bonds that will last a lifetime, you will learn skills and shape yourself more than you can imagine, and by the end of it all, you will feel a sense of achievement as you stand there presenting what you have done throughout the award to deserve that certification of completion.

So, ask yourself, would an 8-year-old you be proud enough of you that they would stick your certificate on the fridge? I know my 8-year-old self definitely would!

Sean is an Undergraduate Business with Marketing student at the University of Edinburgh Business School